Little One
by A-Claire04
Summary: Five-year-old Emma has run away from her latest foster home and is on her way to a small town in Maine. She has the storybook. She knows about her parents. She knows about the curse. Now, she just has to find them and figure out how to break it.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

 _Hi everyone! Here's a new story that I have been working on. I will still continue with my story The Other Daughter (please check it out if you haven't yet!) I just had to get this one out to you too! I really hope you like it. Please give me some feedback so I know whether or not it's a good idea and if I should continue! Thanks :)_

 _Welcome to Storybrooke._ That is what the sign in front of five-year-old Emma Swan read. She knew this was the right place. She could feel it. Emma had only two clues when she made the decision to go find her parents. One was clutched tightly in her hands. Emma had come across the newspaper article a few months ago when she was waiting in her social worker's office during one of the many times she was being transferred to another home. She snuck a look in her file and found the article inside. Since then, she had read the article more times than she could count. It said that she was found on the side of the road near a diner. Emma found the diner and used it as a starting point for her mission to find her parents and break the curse that the Evil Queen had put on everyone in the Enchanted Forest. The second clue was the storybook that she had zipped up safely in her backpack. A boy had given it to her in the park one day. He told her to read it and that every story in this book actually happened. He told her it would lead her to her parents. When Emma finally got to the end of the giant book and saw her actual baby blanket with her name on it, she finally put everything together. _She_ was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. _She_ was the one who had to break the curse in which they were all trapped. Emma had been walking for what felt like hours, but now here she stood, about to enter a town. Hoping it was the right one. Hoping she would find her mommy and daddy and finally have the family she had always wanted.

Emma made her way into Storybrooke. It was late in the evening and she was starting to get tired. She didn't know where she should go or what she should do. She started to get scared. It was dark out and Emma didn't like the dark. Up ahead she saw the light of the different shops that were still open. She started to walk faster, hoping to hide out there before deciding what to do next. She was walking so fast that she didn't realize that she was about to bump into somebody.

"Woah easy there," the man said as he put his hands out to slow down the little girl in front of him.

"I'm sorry," Emma said as she looked up at the stranger she had just ran into. She quickly looked down when she saw his sheriff's badge. He would find out she ran away and make her go back to her last family. She wouldn't do that. She thought about how scary that place was and never wanted to go back. She turned to run the other way, but the sheriff quickly grabbed her by the arm. "Ow," Emma said as she winced in pain and quickly cradled her arm, holding it tightly to her chest.

"I'm sorry," he told her quickly. He definitely had not grabbed her arm hard enough to cause that much pain. "Are you hurt?" he asked her.

Emma continued to look down, afraid to answer his question. If she told him she was hurt, he would ask how and she couldn't tell him that. If she did tell and she was sent back to the same foster family they would find out and she would be in even more trouble. She thought back to this morning when she had received the injury.

 _Emma had spilled her cereal during breakfast and was trying to clean it up quickly before he came downstairs. Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough. "What did you do?" he screamed when he walked into the kitchen. The first thing Emma had learned about him was that he didn't like messes. Hearing his voice made Emma jump and she quickly stood up clutching the towel in her hands. "I…I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I'll clean it up I…I promise," Emma said quickly, hoping he wouldn't get too mean and scary like the last time. Emma kneeled down on the floor and started to clean up the mess as he continued to yell. He went on about how he was tired of cleaning up after all of these kids and how they were all just a bunch of brats destroying his house. "Are you listening to me?" he yelled when he noticed Emma wasn't looking at him, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her up from the floor. "You look at me when I'm talking to you, understand?" he yelled as he clutched her wrist tighter. Emma just nodded her head, trying to hold in her tears. She knew he didn't like it when the kids cried, but her wrist hurt really bad. "Clean up this mess," he demanded as he threw her back down to the ground. Emma waited until he had left the room before letting her tears fall. She cleaned up her cereal and made her way back up to her bedroom. She packed her backpack with all of her favorite things, which only included the newspaper article, the storybook, and her baby blanket. She decided that today was going to be the day that she ran away and found her parents._

"My name is Graham," the sheriff said as he knelt down in front of the little girl. "Do you think you could tell me your name?" He could tell that she clearly did not want to talk about what had happened to her wrist, so he thought he would start with something a little easier to gain her trust.

Emma just continued to look down. She couldn't tell him anything. He would find out who she was. He would send her back. She couldn't let that happen. She had come too far and she had to find her mommy and daddy.

"How about you come with me," Graham said with a smile as he led her down the street towards the hospital.

Emma really didn't want to go with him, but she didn't think she had a choice. Running away from him didn't work and she was pretty sure he could catch her anyway. At least he didn't know what her name was, so he couldn't figure out where she had come from. Emma thought if she just stayed quiet and didn't say anything then no one would be able to send her back.

Emma found herself sitting in the waiting room of the hospital. She didn't like hospitals or doctors. They were scary and bad things always happened here. She sat in her chair and began to think of all the bad things they might do to her while she was here. She didn't like it when they listened to her heart and had her breathe in and out a bunch of times. She really didn't like it when the doctor looked into her ears, up her nose, and into her mouth. She hated the X-ray machine and Emma absolutely did not like it when they gave her shots. They hurt really bad. The worst part about being in the hospital was that she was always left there alone. The foster families never liked to stick around when one of the kids was sick. When it was time for her to leave, she would always be going to live with a new family. The doctors and the nurses were nice enough, but Emma was always so lonely.

Emma looked up at Sheriff Graham, who was sitting in the chair next to her, and wondered what he was going to do. He had talked to the nurse at the front desk for a few minutes, while he left her sitting in the chair. Emma tried really hard to listen to what they were talking about, but she couldn't hear. They were too far away and she was afraid to get out of her chair and go over to them. She really hoped they didn't figure out who she was and call her social worker. Graham didn't tell her anything when he came back. He only told her that the doctor would be ready to see her really soon. Didn't he know she didn't like doctors? Why would he make her see one? Emma thought about telling him that, but she decided not to. Graham seemed nice enough, but she didn't want him to figure out who she was and if she talked, he might. Emma knew she couldn't let that happen. She just had to figure a way out of here and find her mommy and daddy.

"Okay, the doctor is ready for you," Graham told Emma when he saw the nurse motion for him.

Emma looked up at him with panic in her eyes. She didn't want to see the doctor. He would be scary and he would find out who she was. She would get sent back and get in big trouble. Emma glanced at the door and thought about running right out and away from this scary place.

"How about if I come with you?" Graham suggested when he saw her scared eyes look towards the door. He knew she was thinking about making a run for it.

Emma nodded her head and stood up to go with him. She knew she wouldn't make it out of here if she tried to run for it, so she went willingly. As Emma walked down the hallway and into the exam room, she decided that she would not talk to anybody and she would not let them give her a shot. Those hurt way too much.

Emma sat on the white crinkly paper and waited for the doctor. The nurse had already been in and weighed her and made her stand up against the wall to see how tall she was. She also did all of the other stuff Emma didn't like. She listened to her heart and looked into her ears. She tried to look at her wrist, but Emma pulled it away quickly, remembering how bad it hurt when Graham had touched it.

"How about we just let the doctor look at your wrist then," the nurse said with a smile.

Emma just looked down at her lap as she cradled her wrist. She was not going to let anybody touch it, not even the doctor. Emma knew it would get better on it's own. She had this happen to her wrist before, she had also broken it before. Emma knew the difference and it wasn't broken. It would get better soon as long as the grown-ups stopped touching it.

"The nurses and doctors are really nice you know. They're just trying to help you," Graham told Emma with a smile. "We're not going to let anybody hurt you."

Emma didn't respond to what Sheriff Graham had told her, she was listening, but she didn't believe him. People always told her that the doctors were just trying to help, but that wasn't true. They did things that hurt, like give you shots and then they always send you away to another mean family that hurt you again. Emma did not like it here and the doctors and nurses were not trying to help her.

Emma jumped a little when the door opened after several minutes of sitting in silence. She peeked up just for a second at the man who had just walked into the room.

"Hello there, my name is Dr. Whale and what is your name?" he asked came over to Emma.

Emma just sat there and continued to cradle her wrist. She wasn't going to answer him no matter how friendly he tried to sound.

"Stubborn one isn't she?" Dr. Whale said with a laugh.

"Just a little shy," Graham told him.

Emma didn't think she liked this Dr. Whale very much.

"Okay, let's take a look then shall we?" Dr. Whale said as he started in on his examination. He tried to ask Emma a few questions like how old she was and when she had eaten last.

Emma didn't answer him. She didn't want him to know how old she was because then he might be able to figure out who she was. Emma had no idea why he wanted to know when she had eaten. That was a silly question, but it did make her tummy growl. Emma thought back to when she had actually eaten last though. It was breakfast this morning. She didn't even get to eat all of her cereal though because she spilled half of it on the floor. She didn't go to school, so she didn't have any lunch and she had no money to buy anything, so she hadn't eaten any dinner either. Emma really wished he hadn't asked her that question, because now it made her really hungry.

"How about we take a look at that wrist then," Dr Whale said. He was saving this part for last. The nurse had warned him about how Emma had reacted when she tried to look at it. He thought maybe if he waited until the end of the examination she would have warmed up to him by then and would let him look at it. He knew Emma wasn't anywhere near warmed up to him, but he had to take a look at her wrist, so they could treat it properly.

Emma just clutched her wrist tighter to her chest. He was not going to touch it. When he reached his hand out, Emma turned and pulled it away from him.

"It's okay. Dr. Whale is going to make it all better," Graham told her.

"I have to look at it so I know how to fix it. Do you think you could show it to me?" Dr. Whale said as he tried to coax Emma into letting him see it.

The two men tried for several minutes to convince Emma to let Dr. Whale see her wrist, but she wouldn't budge. This wasn't going the way they had hoped. The stepped aside and were talking quietly in the corner about what to do when the nurse walked in. She walked over to them, trying to help them decide what the best course of action would be.

While the grown-ups were talking, Emma noticed that the nurse had left the door open. The adults were on the other side of the room. This was her chance. All she had to do was quickly hop down from the table and run out of the door. Then she could find her mommy and daddy. Emma looked back and forth between the grown-ups and the door. Then she quickly put her plan into motion. She jumped down from the table and ran out into the hallway.

Emma could hear Sheriff Graham, Dr. Whale, and the nurse calling for her as she ran down the hallway, but she didn't stop. She just wanted out of this scary place. Emma ran as fast as she could. She looked back for a second to see how close they were, she couldn't see them, but knew they weren't far behind. When Emma turned around, she ran right into somebody. Emma fell to the ground, but held onto her wrist, careful not to injure it even more. Emma knew it was a woman that she had run into, she could see her ballet flats and her skirt. She watched as the women bent down to help her up.

"Hey there little one. Are you alright?" the concerned woman asked as she reached out her hand to help Emma.

Emma reached out to the hand of the woman who was helping her off of the ground, but then froze when she looked up into her eyes. Those eyes. She had seen those eyes before. Those bright green eyes. Emma had seen them when she looked at herself in the mirror, but that's not the only place. Emma had seen those eyes in the special storybook that told her all about her parents. She looked different. Her hair was shorter, but it was her. It was the woman from the storybook. It was Snow White. It was her mommy. Emma quickly jumped up and threw herself into the woman's arms and burst into tears. She had done it. After searching all day long, she had found her. She had found her mommy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _Thank you so much for all of the reviews so far! They made me smile :) Here is the next chapter! I hope it doesn't disappoint!_

Mary Margaret gasped when the little girl leaped into her arms. She stood up and continued to hold the little girl tightly. The cute little blonde clung to her like a monkey, her legs wrapped around her waist. Mary Margaret didn't think she could loosen this little girl's grip if she tried, not that she wanted to, for some reason she didn't mind this display of affection at all. Mary Margaret just gently rubbed the girl's back, trying to get her to calm down. Her sobs eventually subsided and her breathing was evening out. The little girl just laid her head down on her shoulder and continued to cling to her.

"There she is," Graham said, clearly out of breath. "Thank you for stopping her Mary Margaret."

"Oh, it wasn't a problem. Who is she?" Mary Margaret asked with concern.

"I'm not really sure," Graham began to tell her. "I found her walking around the street by herself tonight. She won't talk to anybody."

"So, you don't know where she came from or if she has any family?"

"We don't know anything. Dr. Whale is going to admit her for the night so she has somewhere to stay until we can figure all of this out. Will you come with me so we can get you settled into your room?" Graham asked as he walked around Mary Margaret, so he could look at Emma.

Emma just shook her head and held on tighter to her mommy. She never wanted to let her go.

"How about I go with you?" Mary Margaret suggested when she realized the little girl was not going to let go. She was a volunteer after all, and this was something the hospital definitely needed help with tonight.

Emma leaned her head back to look at her mom. She nodded her head and agreed to let Mary Margaret take her to her room.

Mary Margaret carried Emma all the way to her room, Emma had refused to be put down. Mary Margaret didn't mind though.

Mary Margaret helped Emma into her hospital gown and got her settled into the bed. The nurse had tried to do this, but Emma wasn't having it. Emma didn't like the nurse, she wanted her mommy to help her. The nurse left, leaving the job to Mary Margaret, and went to get Emma some dinner.

"So, it's just us here now. Do you think you could tell me how old you are?" Mary Margaret asked Emma.

Emma looked up at her mom, but didn't say anything. She was afraid to tell her.

"How about you show me with your fingers?" Mary Margaret suggested.

Emma thought about it for a minute, then very slowly held up five fingers.

"Five? Wow! You're such a big girl," Mary Margaret said with a smile, which caused Emma to smile back. Mary Margaret fully believed that Emma was telling her the truth, but couldn't believe how small she actually was for a five-year-old. Mary Margaret saw kindergarteners in the hallways of Storybrooke Elementary everyday while she was at work and Emma was much smaller than any of those children.

"Do you have a mommy and daddy?" Mary Margaret asked next.

Emma thought about that for a minute, then nodded her head yes. Emma did have a mommy and a daddy, but they just didn't remember who they were right now.

"Do you know where they are?"

Emma just looked down and shook her head no. Her mommy was sitting right in front of her, but she didn't remember who she was. Emma didn't know where her mommy's real memories were or how to get them back, so she really didn't know where her real mommy was right now. And she hasn't found her daddy yet.

"Do you think you could tell me your name?" Mary Margaret asked. She knew she should probably steer clear of open-ended question for now and just stick with simple yes or no questions, but this was something they really needed to know. They had to find out who this little girl was.

Emma really didn't want to answer this question. If they knew her name, they might find out who she is and send her back. Emma didn't want to go back to those mean families. She wanted to stay here. However, Emma thought that maybe if she told her mommy what her name was, maybe she would remember who she was. Maybe if she heard her name, she would have her real memories and be her real mommy. Emma took a deep breath and looked up at Mary Margaret. "Emma," she whispered so quietly that Mary Margaret almost didn't hear it.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret asked, just to be sure.

Emma looked up hopefully at her mommy and nodded her head. She looked for any glimpse of recognition in her face.

"Well that is a very pretty name Miss Emma," Mary Margaret said with a smile.

Emma slumped her shoulders and looked back down when she realized her mommy's real memories weren't back yet. Emma looked up when she heard a tap on the window. She saw Dr. Whale standing outside of her room. She really didn't want to see him again.

"I'm going to go talk to the doctor. I'll be right back," Mary Margaret told Emma.

Emma quickly grabbed ahold of Mary Margaret's hand. She didn't want her to leave.

Mary Margaret noticed the look of panic in the little girl's eyes. "You'll be able to see me through the window the whole time. I promise," she said with a smile.

Emma looked at the window and back to her mommy. She nodded her head and agreed to let her go.

While she watched her mommy through the window. Emma thought back to how she acted in the last half hour. She had leaped right into her mom's arms the minute she saw her. Emma knew she probably should have made a different choice. Her mommy didn't even know she was her daughter. Her mommy didn't even remember who she, herself, was. She even thought her name was Mary Margaret. She had pretend memories that the Evil Queen had given her. Emma really wished her mommy remembered who she was but she didn't and Emma knew she should try to be more careful. She just couldn't help herself though, she was just so excited to see her. She wanted her to make her mommy remember, but she didn't know how to do that.

Emma looked up and saw Dr. Whale walking into the room behind her mom. She really didn't want to see him again. Emma instinctively held onto her wrist as he walked closer to her.

"Hi little one, do you think you could let Dr. Whale take a look at that?" Mary Margaret asked as she pointed to Emma's wrist.

Emma shook her head and continued to hold onto her wrist. She didn't want him to touch it.

"Please, Emma," Mary Margaret asked as she sat down on the bed beside her. "He's going to make it feel all better. I'll be right here the whole time. I promise."

Emma nodded her head and agreed to let the doctor look at her wrist. He gently lifted up her arm and examined the injury.

"Well, the good news is it's not broken," he told Emma, which she already knew. "It's just a bad sprain. I'm just going to have her wear a brace for a little while, so it doesn't get bumped around too much while it's healing."

Just as soon as Dr. Whale left the room, the nurse returned with some food for Emma. She placed the tray on the table in front of Emma, giving her and Mary Margaret a smile before exiting the room.

"Let's see what she brought you, Emma," Mary Margaret said as she lifted the lid off of the tray. "Oh, we have some chicken noodle soup, some crackers, I see some oranges and apple juice too. Doesn't that sound yummy?"

Emma nodded her head. She remembered how hungry she was again when she saw the nurse bring in the tray. Her tummy started to growl really loud. Emma sat up and picked up her spoon, ready to eat the warm soup.

Mary Margaret was relieved to see that eating her dinner wasn't going to be a problem. While they were out in the hallway, Dr. Whale told her that Emma was slightly undernourished, but it was nothing to be too concerned with as along as she started eating proper meals. It made her sad to think that Emma had been living in a place where someone wasn't taking proper care of her. A place where she wasn't even getting enough to eat. Thinking about that on top of the injury Emma had received, made Mary Margaret shudder at the thought of the conditions Emma had been living in. Mary Margaret just watched the little girl with a smile on her face as she ate every last bite on the tray. She didn't know why, but she thought she could just sit and watch Emma for hours and never get bored.

When the nurse came in to take Emma's empty food tray away, Mary Margaret looked up at the clock and realized what time it was. It was getting late and she still had to go home and grade papers.

"Emma, I going to have to go home now," she told her, hoping that Emma would not get too upset. She wasn't sure why, but Emma had obviously become very attached to her in this short amount of time. The little girl looked exhausted. Mary Margaret knew she would probably be falling asleep soon anyway.

"Do you have to?" Emma asked quietly as she looked up at her mom with pleading eyes.

Mary Margaret's heart broke when she looked into those sad little eyes. She didn't think she would be able to leave her. "How about I stay until you fall asleep, okay?" she suggested, betting on her theory that it wouldn't be long before Emma was fast asleep.

"Okay," Emma said as she let out a yawn and laid her head down on her pillow. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she snapped them right open. "Where's my backpack? I…I need my backpack," Emma said with a panic as she sat up looking around the room. Her baby blanket was in there and she never slept without it. She had to have it.

"Uh…I don't know," Mary Margaret said as she stood up and looked around the room. "I don't see it in here."

"But I need it," Emma said as tears began to fall down her face.

"Okay, okay. It's going to be fine. I'll find it," Mary Margaret reassured her as she left the room in search of the missing backpack.

Emma waited and waited for her mommy to come back. She couldn't remember where she left her backpack. She tried to think really hard, but she just couldn't remember. She had to find it. She needed her baby blanket, and the storybook was in there too. She couldn't lose that either.

"I found it," Mary Margaret said as she entered the room, practically out of breath.

Emma smiled and reached out for it. She unzipped the zipper and made sure her important stuff was still there. She could see the storybook, but not her blanket. She reached her arm way down to the bottom and finally felt it. It had gotten squished by her big book. Emma quickly pulled her blanket out and zipped her bag back up, placing it at the foot of her bed. She covered herself with her baby blanket, then pulled the hospital covers over top. She had grown accustomed to sleeping with her blanket that way. The big kids always teased her about her blanket, so she learned to sleep with it underneath of her other covers. Now that Emma had her blanket, she calmly laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

Mary Margaret was relieved to have found the backpack. Emma had left it in the exam room when she made her great escape. Mary Margaret figured it must have been the blanket that Emma needed in order to fall asleep. She hadn't gotten a good look at Emma's little comfort item, but it must have worked because Emma's breathing was deep and she was obviously fast asleep. Mary Margaret decided to wait just a few more minutes before leaving, just to make sure.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _Here's the next chapter for everybody! I hope you all have a great weekend! Enjoy :)_

Emma woke up the next morning, trying to remember where she was and what had happened last night. She smiled when she remembered that she had found her mommy. She became sad when she thought about how her mommy didn't know who she was and that she still didn't find her daddy.

Emma looked around her hospital room, hoping to see her mommy still sitting in the chair she was sitting in last night when she fell asleep. Emma knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. That's how hospitals worked didn't they? Besides the visits from the doctors and nurses, you spent your time alone. At least that was what Emma was use to. She knew her mommy probably wasn't going to come back and that made her very sad.

Emma looked down and noticed the brace on her wrist. She furrowed her eyebrows at it. She really wanted to take it off. It was itchy, and it was getting on her nerves. She sat up a little and looked out the door…she didn't see anyone around. Emma thought about it for a moment, then as quiet as she could, she pulled the velcro strap back and slipped the brace off, hiding it underneath the covers. She hoped no one would notice.

A few minutes later, the nurse came in with some food. Emma did her best to not look guilty. She kept her injured arm under the covers as well, so the nurse wouldn't see that she took her brace off.

"Well Miss Emma, you must have been pretty tired. You slept straight through breakfast. It's lunchtime," the nurse said as she set the lunch tray on her table and pulled the lid off. She gave Emma a smile and left the room.

Emma was excited to see that her food was here, she was really hungry again. She leaned forward to see what was on the menu for lunch today. She turned her nose up when she saw the meatloaf sitting on her tray. It looked really gross. There were green beans too…yuck! Why couldn't they have given her something yummy like last night? Emma did not like meatloaf, and she especially did not like anything that was green. She would not be eating any of that. She smiled a little when she noticed the chocolate pudding though. She happily picked up her spoon and enjoyed the chocolate treat. She also drank her milk, but that was all she was going to eat off of that tray. She slowly pushed her tray away and sat back to watch some TV.

"You're not going to eat your lunch?" the nurse asked with concern when she came back into the room to collect the tray. She knew it was important that Emma ate her food.

Emma just shook her head no. She wouldn't eat it…it was gross. Emma thought it was crazy that some people actually liked that stuff.

"Okay," the nurse said with a sigh as she took the tray away. She would have to let the doctor know that Emma had refused to eat her lunch.

Emma spent the next couple of hours just relaxing in her bed and watching TV. She forgot about this part…probably the only good thing about being in the hospital. She got to watch whatever she wanted on TV. She never got to pick what to watch unless she was in the hospital. Her foster parents always chose and when she was in the group home the big kids had control of the TV. Emma wasn't a big kid yet, but if she was she would have been nicer to the little kids and let them pick shows too. Emma was pulled away from her favorite cartoon when she heard a knock on her door. She turned towards the door to see who it was. She really hoped it wasn't Dr. Whale.

"Hey little one," Mary Margaret said with a smile as she came into the room.

Emma's eyes widened and she smiled at the sight of her mommy walking into the room. She couldn't believe she actually came back. Emma thought that maybe she was dreaming. No one ever comes to visit at hospitals—do they? Emma thought for sure that she would have to figure out a way to find her mommy again, but she didn't. She was walking towards her right now, sitting down in the same chair she sat in last night. Emma was so excited.

Mary Margaret noticed the look of joy on Emma's face when she walked into the room. It made her happy to know she could make that sweet little girl smile.

"I heard that somebody wouldn't eat their lunch today," Mary Margaret said with a raise of her eyebrows.

"It was yucky," Emma mumbled as she looked down.

Mary Margaret laughed at the girl's assessment of the hospital food. "Well, you're in luck because I stopped at Granny's after work and picked this up for you," Mary Margaret said with a smile as she set a bag onto the table and pulled some food out of it.

"Do you like grilled cheese?" she asked as she unwrapped the sandwich for Emma.

Emma nodded her head. Grilled cheese was her favorite sandwich…how did she know that?

"I got you some applesauce and carrots too," Mary Margaret said as she pulled out the healthier foods, hoping Emma would at least eat some of it.

Emma really liked applesauce. Carrots weren't her favorite, but she would eat them to make her mommy happy—at least they weren't green.

"I also have a special treat if you eat your food," Mary Margaret told Emma with a wink.

"What is it?" Emma asked curiously.

"You'll have to wait and see," she told her with a shrug of her shoulders.

Emma just smiled and started eating her yummy food. The grilled cheese was the best she ever had. The applesauce was really good too. The carrots were okay, there were only three, so it wasn't so bad.

"Can I have my treat now," Emma asked excitedly once she had finished her food.

"You sure can," Mary Margaret told her as she held out a cup of hot chocolate to Emma.

Emma's eyes widened at the sight of it. She had never had a hot chocolate before. She couldn't wait to try it. She knew she would probably need two hands to hold it, so without thinking she pulled her other hand out from the covers to reach for the cup. She had been doing a good job of hiding it up until now.

"Sweetie, where's your brace?" Mary Margaret asked with concern as she pulled the hot chocolate away from Emma's outstretched hands.

Emma quickly pulled her hand back and looked down. She could feel the tears begin to well up in her eyes. She didn't want her mommy to be mad at her for taking her brace off. What if she never came back to see her again? She didn't sound like she was mad, but Emma wasn't sure. Grown-ups got mad about everything.

"Emma it's okay. You can tell me. I won't be mad," Mary Margaret assured her after seeing the girl's sad little face.

"It was really itchy, so I took it off," Emma told her as she slowly looked up.

"Okay…well can you give it to me so I can put it back on?"

Emma nodded her head and reached under the covers to find it, handing it to her mom.

"You know Emma this is going to help your wrist get better," Mary Margaret told her as she carefully put the brace back onto her wrist. "Do you think you could leave it on for me?"

"Yes," Emma said reluctantly. She really didn't want to, but she knew she should. Also, her mom just asked her really nicely to leave it on, she didn't even get mad at her or anything. She liked that. Emma really wanted to listen and be a good girl.

"Good. Now, how about that treat I promised you!"

Emma smiled and nodded her head as she reached out for her hot chocolate once more. She looked down to see something sprinkled on the top. "What is that?" Emma asked.

"It's cinnamon. It's really yummy," Mary Margaret told her with a smile.

Emma took a little sip, making sure it wasn't too hot. When she found that it wasn't, she took a big drink of it. Her eyes widened at the taste. It was delicious. "I like hot chocolate and the cinnamon," Emma told Mary Margaret with a chocolate smile.

"I'm very glad," Mary Margaret said with a laugh as she watched Emma get chocolate all over her face as she drank the drink as if it were going to disappear.

As soon as Emma had finished her hot chocolate, there was another knock on the door. This time it was Graham. Emma wasn't sure how she felt about seeing him coming into her room. He was really nice to her, and he was the one who brought her here, where she found her mommy too. She didn't like that he brought her to the hospital at first, but now she was glad that he did. However, he was the sheriff, and it was his job to find out where Emma had come from and send her back once he did. Emma could feel the butterflies flying around in her stomach at the thought of him finding out who she really was. She didn't want to go back to her old foster family or any other foster family for that matter. She wanted to stay here…she had to stay here. Her mommy was here. She also still had to find her daddy and break the curse so they would remember her. She looked up at the sheriff and waited to hear what he had to say.

"Hey there Emma," Graham said with a smile as he waved to the little girl.

"Hi," Emma said quietly as she shyly waved back at him.

"Is your wrist feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders. This injury wasn't really that bad, she didn't know why everyone was making such a big deal about it.

"That's good. So, I talked to your social worker today. She says that she is so glad that you are safe and that she'll be here to get you in the morning," Graham told Emma, thinking he was giving Emma some good news.

Once Mary Margaret got Emma to tell her what her name was, she told Graham and he went directly to the Sheriff's station to look for any missing children in the area matching Emma's name and description. That's how he got in contact with Emma's social worker.

"No!" Emma said as her eyes became wide. She didn't want to go back. She couldn't. Her social worker was nice and she always tried really hard to find Emma a good home, things just never seemed to work out. "I don't want to go back to them," Emma said as she clung tightly to her wrist.

"It's okay Emma. You don't have to go back to the people who hurt you. Your social worker said you will stay at the group home for a few days until they find a new family for you," Graham told her.

Emma started to cry at the thought of having to go back to the group home. That was even worse than going back to her last family. The group home was not a good place. Emma covered her face with her hands and continued to sob. Her breathing was becoming rapid and she was getting herself really worked up.

Mary Margaret quickly jumped up and sat on the bed next to Emma. She rubbed circles on her back and tried to calm her down, but nothing was working. Obviously this little girl has been through some terrible things at these foster families and group homes she's been to.

"Graham, isn't there something you can do?"

"Mary Margaret, I don't…"

"She can't go back! Look at her. Look how upset she is at even the thought of going back," Mary Margaret said, becoming angry at the thought of anybody doing anything that would hurt this sweet little girl.

"My hands are tied, Mary Margaret. They don't have a family that will take her right now. She has to go to the group home back in Boston. There's nothing I can…"

"I'll take her!" Mary Margaret said quickly before she even knew what was coming out of her mouth.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Here's the next one! I hope you like it! Thanks so much for all of the reviews. I absolutely love hearing from all of you! Enjoy :)_

Emma's eyes widened when she heard what her mommy just said. She told Sheriff Graham that she would take her. She would be her new foster mommy. Emma was feeling so excited. She knew she probably shouldn't get her hopes up just yet, things didn't usually work out in her favor too often, but she might actually get to live with her mommy. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

Mary Margaret let what she had just said really sink in. She had just volunteered to take in a child. A child that would completely be her responsibility. She was a teacher, so she was great with children, but this was different. She only spent about eight hours a day with the students in her class. If she took Emma in, she would have much more than just an eight hour day. Mary Margaret thought maybe she spoke too soon. Was this the right choice? Could she be a parent? Could she be the mother figure that Emma desperately needed? She wasn't sure. She didn't know if she could actually do this. However, when Mary Margaret looked down and saw that bright smile on that beautiful little girl's face, all of her doubts went away, and she knew she could do this.

"Mary Margaret, are you sure? Do you even know what you just said?" Graham asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Yes, I know what I just said and yes, I'm sure," Mary Margaret told him confidently.

"Okay then. I'll have to talk to Emma's social worker about it and see what she says," Graham said before leaving the room to make the phone call.

"So, I'm going to come live with you?" Emma asked as she looked up at Mary Margaret with hopeful eyes.

"If that's what you want, Emma. I'm sorry, I probably should have asked you if you were alright with it first," Mary Margaret told her as she realized she didn't even take Emma's feelings into consideration when she offered to take her in. Emma did seem to like her very much, but would she want to come live with her? Mary Margaret wasn't sure, but she really hoped so. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was just something about this little girl. Mary Margaret felt such a bond with her in only the little time she's known her.

"I do! I really do," Emma said as she practically bounced up and down on the bed with excitement. She wanted to be with her mommy more than anything.

Mary Margaret couldn't help but smile at the little girl's excitement. She really hoped everything would work out and she could take sweet little Emma home with her soon. She didn't want her going back to the group home, where she would eventually be placed with a family that didn't treat her right. Emma deserved to be with someone who would truly care for her.

Mary Margaret sat with Emma and watched cartoons with her while they waited for Graham to come back with some news. They made it through a couple episodes of The Smurfs before he finally came back.

He told Mary Margaret that Emma's social worker was glad to hear that someone wanted to take her in. She didn't want Emma going back to the group home either. She was even more pleased to hear that Mary Margaret was a school teacher, that was definitely a plus. All the social worker needed to do now was come meet Mary Margaret and make sure her home was a suitable place for Emma to live. She told Graham she would be at Mary Margaret's place the next day. Luckily, tomorrow was Saturday, so Mary Margaret didn't have to work.

Mary Margaret was thrilled that everything seemed to be working out. She wasn't concerned about the home visit. Her apartment was suitable for taking in a child. She had a spare bedroom upstairs that would be perfect for Emma. She thought maybe she should go home and tidy up a bit though. She kept her place very clean, but she just wanted everything to be perfect for tomorrow.

Emma listened to what Graham said and couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was actually going to get to live her mommy. No more mean families or that scary group home. Things were working out a lot better than Emma had hoped. She hasn't even been in Storybrooke for very long, and now she was about to go home with her mommy. Her mommy may not remember her just yet, but Emma knew she could help her remember soon.

Mary Margaret stayed with Emma through dinner, to make sure she actually ate this time. Fortunately, Emma's meal was more kid-friendly, so she ate it without any problems. It was getting close 7:30, and Mary Margaret really wanted to get home so she could get everything ready for the social worker tomorrow. She knew Emma probably wouldn't want her to leave though, just like last night. She looked over at little girl and was grateful to see her eyes starting to droop, she would be asleep any minute.

"Emma, just close your eyes and go to sleep sweetie," Mary Margaret told her when she noticed Emma was really fighting off the sleep that was trying to take over her little body.

"No, I don't want to," Emma said as she rubbed her eyes.

"Why don't you want to sleep, Emma?" Mary Margaret asked, already knowing the answer.

"Because then you'll leave," Emma said as she looked up at her mommy with sad eyes.

"Yes, you're right, but do you remember why I have to leave?" Mary Margaret asked Emma with a smile. "I have to get my apartment all ready for you to come live with me. I have to get it just right for your social worker."

"Oh, yeah," Emma said with a small smile.

"How about I make you a deal. I'll stay here until you fall asleep, then come back first thing in the morning and have breakfast with you before I have to go meet with your social worker. Sound good?"

"Mhmm," Emma said with a nod of her head.

"But you have to promise that you'll try to go to sleep for me."

"Okay I will," Emma promised. She really didn't want her mommy to leave, but she knew that she had to. Emma trusted that she would be back in the morning like she said though.

It only took a few minutes before Emma's eyes finally closed and she was sound asleep. Mary Margaret quietly left and headed home to tidy up her already clean apartment.

Emma was happy to wake up and find her mommy sitting next to her bed, just like she had promised. They even had breakfast together before she had to leave again to have the meeting with her social worker.

Emma had gotten bored with the cartoons on the TV and decided to pull out her storybook and read. She had read these stories a lot since that little boy gave her the book. She loved them so much though and never got tired of reading them. She was trying to read the stories, but she couldn't focus, she was too worried about her mommy and the social worker. They were taking a really long time…at least in Emma's little mind. Emma kept looking at the clock, even though she couldn't quite tell time yet. She was getting nervous and really wanted her mommy to come back.

Just as Emma got her mind to finally focus on one of the stories in her book, she heard the door to her room open. She looked up with a smile, hoping to see her mommy, but it wasn't her. It was Dr. Whale and a nurse. Her face dropped, and she could feel those butterflies in her tummy again. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Hi Emma," Dr. Whale said, trying to sound cheerful for the little girl.

"Hi," Emma whispered as she looked down.

"I just have to give you a quick check up, before I can let you leave okay?" Dr. Whale told her.

"Okay," Emma said reluctantly. She knew this was going to have to happen eventually, and she knew once it was over she would get to go home with her mommy.

She sat and did everything Dr. Whale asked her to do. She let him listen to her heart, she took big breaths when he wanted to listen to her lungs, and she didn't object when he wanted to look inside her ears, nose, and mouth. She even let him look at her wrist. He told her that as long as she was careful, she could leave the brace off. Emma was very glad to hear that.

"Now, there's just one more thing we have to do before I can let you go home, okay?" Dr. Whale said, a little nervous about how Emma was going to react.

Emma looked up and saw what the nurse had in her hand. It was a shot. Emma did not like shots. Emma quickly scooted back on her bed, trying to get as far away from the grown ups as she could. Shots hurt, really bad, and she was not going to let them give her one.

"I…I don't want that," Emma said, her voice a little shaky.

"Emma, it's okay…" Dr. Whale tried to reassure her.

"No!" Emma screamed as she tried to get away from the doctor. Tears began to fall down her face, and she desperately looked around the room for her mommy. Where was she? Why wasn't she back yet? She wanted her mommy. "No, no, I don't want that!" Emma yelled again as the shot came closer pushing the nurse's hand away.

"What's going on?" Mary Margaret asked frantically as she ran over to Emma and scooped her up in her arms.

Emma was so relieved that her mommy was here, and she wrapped her arms around her neck, latching on tight.

"Mary Margaret, Emma has to have this shot before she is allowed to leave with you," Dr. Whale explained.

Mary Margaret nodded her head. "Just give me a minute," she told Dr. Whale. She knew she was going to have to convince Emma to get the shot somehow.

"Hey, sweetie. It's okay," Mary Margaret started to say as she rubbed circles on Emma's back.

"I…don't want…a shot," Emma said in between sobs as she leaned back to look at her mommy.

"I know, but you really need it to make you all better," Mary Margaret told Emma as she wiped the tears from her eyes and brushed the hair from her face.

"But they hurt," Emma said as shook her head.

"Emma…I know shots hurt a little bit, but it doesn't last very long. I know you're a brave little girl. You can do this. And as soon as you're done, you get to come home with me," Mary Margaret told her with a smile. The meeting with the social worker had gone well and Mary Margaret was now officially Emma's foster parent.

Emma smiled at the thought of getting to go home with her mommy. She was really scared about getting the shot, but if that's what she had to do to get out of here, then she thought maybe she could do it.

"Will you still hold me when they do it?" Emma whispered into her ear.

"Of course I will," Mary Margaret said, her heart practically melting at Emma's scared little voice.

Emma laid her head down onto her mommy's shoulder and held on tight. Mary Margaret nodded at the nurse, letting her know it was okay to come and administer the shot. Emma winced in pain as the nurse gave her the shot. A few more tears fell from her eyes, but now it was all over.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Mary Margaret told Emma with a smile as she wiped the remaining tears from her face. "Are you ready to go home now?"

Emma nodded her head and wiggled down from her mom's grasp. She was excited to get out of here and see where her mommy lived…where she would be living now. She went to get her storybook and her blanket. She put them both safely into her backpack. Mary Margaret helped her get dressed, making a mental note to take Emma shopping to get some new clothes. The few items of clothing she had were very worn. Mary Margaret signed all of the necessary papers for Emma to be discharged, and they made their way out of the hospital.

Mary Margaret got Emma settled into her new booster seat, and they drove home. When they arrived at the apartment, Emma excitedly jumped out of the car and held onto her mommy's hand. They walked up lots and lots of stairs before they finally made it to the front door. Mary Margaret pulled out her key and unlocked the door. She opened the door and guided Emma inside.

"Well, here we are," Mary Margaret told Emma with a smile. "We're home."

 _Home._ That was something Emma never had before. Emma couldn't help but smile as she looked around the apartment. She was home, and she couldn't be happier.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi guys! I am so sorry there was such a long wait for this chapter. I was on vacation and just got back today. I will try really hard to not let that happen again I promise! I really hope you like this chapter! Enjoy :)_

 **Chapter 5**

"Come on. Let me show you around," Mary Margaret told Emma with a smile as she held onto her hand.

Mary Margaret showed Emma all around the downstairs. She made sure Emma knew where to find the bathroom and told her she could help herself to anything in the kitchen. She showed Emma how to work the TV and let her look at the different movies she had. Mary Margaret noticed she really didn't have a lot and thought maybe they could pick a few new ones out when they went shopping later.

"And here's my room," Mary Margaret told Emma as they walked over to where she slept. "Don't be afraid to come in here if you need me okay?" She wanted Emma to feel comfortable to go in any room and to come to her if she needed anything.

Emma just nodded her head and smiled. She was never allowed to go into her foster parents' rooms before. She did one time when she had a nightmare and got in big trouble. After that, Emma learned to never go into any bedroom besides her own. She was happy that her mommy said she was allowed to go into her room though.

Next, they made their way upstairs to show Emma where she would be sleeping.

"Here's your room," Mary Margaret said as she looked down at Emma, noticing the little girl's bright green eyes that were full of excitement.

Emma walked around the very big room. Well, it was very big to little Emma. She never had a whole room to herself before. She looked around and saw a comfy bed where she would get to sleep. A dresser where she could put her clothes, well she didn't have that many, but that's okay, she would still get to put them in the drawers. There was even a desk with a chair. Emma thought that it was the perfect place to do some coloring.

"This is all for me?" she asked as she looked up at her mommy.

"Of course it is," Mary Margaret told Emma.

"I don't have to share it with anybody?"

"Nope, it's all for you," Mary Margaret said as she picked Emma up and placed her on her hip. She couldn't help but smile at the cute little giggle that came from Emma as she picked her up. "Now, I know the walls are a little boring, so I was thinking we could buy some paint today when we go shopping and give this room a little color."

The walls were just white right now. Mary Margaret thought it would be fun for Emma to help pick out the paint for the room. She thought making the room her own would help Emma feel more at home.

"I get to pick it out?" Emma asked, eyes wide with amazement.

"We'll paint it whatever color you want," Mary Margaret told her, hoping Emma wouldn't pick something too crazy. However she was pretty sure she would have a hard time telling Emma "no" no matter what color she picked.

"Purple, Purple! Can we paint it purple?" Emma asked as she bounced up and down in her mommy's arms. Emma loved purple. That's what color the ribbon on her blankey was and that's what color her name was written in on it too. Purple had always been Emma's favorite color for that very reason.

"I think purple would be perfect!" Mary Margaret said with a laugh.

After eating a quick lunch, the two girls went out to do some shopping. Their first stop was to get Emma some new clothes. Emma had a couple shirts and a few pairs of pants, but they were not in the best shape…obviously hand-me-downs. Mary Margaret wanted Emma to have brand new clothes that were just for her. However, getting Emma to actually find something that she liked might be a little more difficult than Mary Margaret thought.

"How about this one?" Mary Margaret asked as she held up a yellow shirt with a big pink flower on it. This was the fourth shirt she had shown Emma, and the young girl was not liking any of them.

"No, not that one," Emma said as she shook her head. She walked over to the table and stood on her tiptoes to get a good look at the shirts herself.

"Emma, you have to pick something," Mary Margaret said as she lifted Emma up, so she could get a better look at the selection of shirts. Their cart was empty and they'd already been in the store for 20 minutes.

"I like this one," Emma said as she reached down to grab the shirt. She had a big smile on her face when she held it up to show her mommy. It was light blue with an ice cream sundae on it. Emma loved ice cream so much, and she really wanted this shirt.

"I like it too," Mary Margaret told her with a smile.

Emma managed to pick out several other things that she liked, including some purple polka-dot pajamas that Emma thought would match her blankey and new purple room. Mary Margaret also picked up some basics…just some more pajamas and shirts, a few pairs of jeans, some leggings, socks, underwear, and Emma's school uniform. Emma even agreed to let Mary Margaret buy her one dress. Emma didn't really want to wear a dress, but she noticed how happy her mommy was when she showed it to her, so she agreed to it.

Next, they stopped to get a few toys and some games for Emma. Mary Margaret didn't have a whole lot of things for someone Emma's age. She had some board games, but they were more age appropriate for the children in her fourth grade class. They looked at the selections and Emma picked out Candy Land, Hi Ho! Cherry-O, and Chutes & Ladders.

"Can we play these when we get home? Please!" Emma asked excitedly. They had these games at the group home, but the pieces were either broken or missing and it was no fun to play them. Emma couldn't wait to play these…they were brand new!

"As long as it's not too late," Mary Margaret told her. She couldn't help but smile at the child's excitement.

Before leaving the store, the girls added a few more things to their cart. They picked out some puzzles, a new deck of cards, and some new coloring books. Mary Margaret had plenty of crayons and markers at home, but she didn't have any coloring books. Mary Margaret looked into the cart and decided that this should be plenty to keep Emma entertained. Emma was very pleased with what they had picked out as well. None of her other foster parents ever let her get anything new before. Emma smiled up at her mommy as she looked up from the cart. She had the best mommy in the world.

Emma and Mary Margaret made one more stop at the hardware store to get Emma's purple paint for her room before heading to Granny's for dinner.

"And who is this little cutie?" Ruby asked as she came over to the booth to take their order.

Emma looked up at the woman with red streaks in her hair and snuggled close to her mommy. She was feeling a little shy.

"This is Emma," Mary Margaret said as she wrapped her arm around her, pulling her close.

"Hi, Emma. My name is Ruby," she said with a smile.

"Emma can you tell Ruby 'hi'?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Hi," Emma whispered as she waved her small hand.

Emma continued to study the woman as her mommy told her what they wanted for dinner. She looked kind of familiar. Emma knew she had seen her in her storybook, but she couldn't remember which story. She would check her storybook as soon as she got home and try to figure it out.

The girls finished their dinner and made their way home. Mary Margaret looked at the clock in her car when she pulled up in front of the apartment building, it was later than she thought. She glanced back into her rearview mirror to find Emma fast asleep, her head titled to one side laying on her shoulder. Mary Margaret smiled at how cute she looked. Then she sighed when she realized that she was going to have to carry all of the bags and Emma up the stairs.

It took awhile, but Mary Margaret managed to get Emma and all of the stuff from their shopping trip up the stairs in one shot. Well, everything except the paint. That was too heavy. She could just get that in the morning.

Mary Margaret carried Emma up to her room. She gently took off Emma's coat and boots. She put a pair of pajamas on her and tucked her into bed. She gave Emma a kiss on the forehead before heading downstairs.

Emma's eyes shot open. She looked around the dark room, and it took her a minute to remember where she was. She quickly lifted up her covers to grab onto her baby blanket, but it wasn't there. Emma frantically threw off her covers and looked all over, but it wasn't there. Emma closed her eyes real tight and thought super hard about where she had it last. She finally remembered that it was still inside of her backpack. She never took it out when she got back from the hospital. Emma squinted her eyes as she looked across the room to where she thought her backpack was. She thought she could see it. She carefully got out of bed and walked over. She let out a sigh of relief when she found her backpack with her blankey inside. She held on tight to it as she made her way back to her bed.

Emma didn't lay down. She sat up and looked around the dark room. She didn't like the dark. She felt a little scared. She never had a whole big room to herself before. There was always at least one other kid sleeping in the same room as her. Emma didn't like being in here all by herself. She didn't like it that her mommy was all the way downstairs. That was really far away…too far away. One of her foster brothers told her about the monsters that live under beds. What if one of them came out? Her mommy was so far, Emma knew the monster would definitely eat her before her mommy could get here to save her. Emma really wished she could go sleep with her mommy. She was so scared and knew she would not be able to sleep, but what if she got mad? What if her mommy didn't want her to come into her bedroom? Then, Emma remembered her mommy telling her that she was allowed to come into her bedroom anytime she wanted to. Well…Emma really wanted to. Plus, this was her real mommy, not one of the mean foster ones, she wouldn't get mad at her. Emma hopped of the bed again and made her way out of her room as fast as she could, she didn't want the monster under her bed to get her.

Emma tiptoed quietly down the stairs and towards where her mommy was sleeping. She carefully crawled onto the bed and climbed under the covers, trying not to wake her. Mary Margaret was a very light sleeper though.

"Emma, what are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asked sleepily when she saw the little girl in bed next to her.

"I'm sorry. I was afraid and I couldn't sleep," Emma said, hoping she wouldn't be upset with her.

"What were you afraid of sweetie?" Mary Margaret asked as she brushed the hair out of Emma's scared little face.

"I don't know," Emma said as she shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to tell her about the monsters.

"Well how about you just sleep with me tonight," Mary Margaret said as she pulled Emma close. She wasn't going to force Emma to talk about what was scaring her right now. She would just give her the comfort she needed.

Emma nodded her head and snuggled into her mommy. She let her eyes close…she was safe. Those monsters wouldn't be getting her tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 _Here's the next chapter for you. I hope everyone is having a great weekend!_ _Anyone else binge watch Fuller House? I just finished tonight. It was so good! Plus, only one more week until Once is back!_

 _Also, I was asked if we are going to be seeing David soon. Yes! I love Prince Charming! He will be making his debut, but not for awhile...I'm sorry! Don't worry, there will be lots of Daddy Charming moments with little Emma in later chapters to make up for the long wait!_

 _Enjoy :)_

Emma woke up the next morning and remembered that she wanted to check her storybook and figure out who Ruby from the diner really was in the Enchanted Forest. She hopped down from her mommy's bed and ran towards the stairs.

"Good morning…where are you off to in such a hurry?" Mary Margaret asked when she saw Emma dashing towards the stairs.

"Hi, I have to go get something. I'll be right back," Emma said as she kept her pace up the stairs.

Mary Margaret just smiled as she shook her head. That little one sure had a lot of energy this early in the morning.

Emma ran over and kneeled down onto the floor beside her backpack. She reached inside and pulled out her storybook. She flipped through the pages until she found a picture of the girl who looked like Ruby. She read the words next to the picture. She was Little Red Riding Hood. Of course! How could she not have noticed that. Emma thought for a minute…the diner was called Granny's and there was also an older lady who worked there. That must be Red's Granny from the story. Emma smiled at her discovery and thought about how she couldn't wait to match more people from the town to her storybook. Although, she hoped she wouldn't have time to figure out who everyone was because she wanted the curse to break…and she wanted it to break soon. She had to figure out how to break it so her mommy could remember her and so they could find her daddy. Then, Emma got a great idea. If she showed the storybook to her mommy, maybe she would read it and remember everything. Emma quickly scooped the book up and went back downstairs.

"Oh, what do you have there?" Mary Margaret asked when she saw Emma carrying a very big book down the stairs. She quickly went over to her and took the book from her little arms. She didn't want Emma falling down the stairs.

"That's my storybook," Emma said with a smile. "Can we read it?"

"How about we eat some breakfast first?" Mary Margaret suggested as she set the book down on the table.

"Okay," Emma agreed. Her tummy was growling, she was really hungry. They could read the stories in a little bit.

"Can we have pancakes?" Emma asked excitedly as she looked up at her mommy.

"Of course we can, but _you_ have to help me make them," Mary Margaret said as she tapped Emma on the nose with her finger.

"Okay," Emma said with a giggle. Her mommy was very funny sometimes.

Mary Margaret smiled and scooped the little girl up in her arms and headed towards the kitchen. She set Emma down on the counter and went to get the ingredients.

Emma watched curiously as her mommy got out all kinds of stuff from the cupboards. She got out some flour, sugar, bowls, measuring cups, and lots of other things. Emma didn't know what they were going to do with all of this, didn't pancakes just come from the freezer? Don't you just put them in the microwave? Well all of the kinds Emma had were from the freezer and heated up with a microwave. Then Emma's eyes widened in amazement when she realized what they would be doing.

"Are we making real pancakes?" she asked as she watched Mary Margaret get some more stuff from the refrigerator.

"Yes, we're making real ones," Mary Margaret said with a laugh. Not sure what Emma meant by her question.

"Like _real_ real ones. Not from the freezer?" Emma asked again, just to make sure.

"We are making real real pancakes, Miss Emma," Mary Margaret said with a smile as she set down the last of the ingredients. She then realized what Emma meant. She must have only ever had frozen pancakes. It made her a little sad to think that Emma had never made homemade pancakes before. Well, Mary Margaret was going to fix that right now. Emma was going to have some very delicious homemade pancakes this morning. "I even have something special we can add to them."

"What? What is it?" Emma asked, practically bouncing up and down on the counter.

"How would you like to add these to our pancakes?" Mary Margaret asked as she held up a bag of chocolate chips.

"Yes! Yes!" Emma said with a clap of her hands. She loved chocolate so much. That would be so yummy in their pancakes.

The two girls got to work and began making their delicious breakfast. Emma loved helping add all of the ingredients. They got flour and sugar everywhere and were really making a mess of the kitchen. Emma didn't notice though, she was having such a great time. She even got to crack one of the eggs. When she got a little bit of shell in the batter, she looked up at her mommy and was a little nervous that she would be mad. But she told Emma that it was okay and just picked the shell right out. Emma couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun. She wanted to do this everyday!

"Hmmm, this bag seems to be a little lighter than it was when I pulled it out of the cupboard. Do you know what happened to some of our chocolate chips?" Mary Margaret asked as she put her hands on her hips, giving Emma a questioning look. She knew exactly what was going on though. Emma had been sneaking chocolate chips the entire time they had been preparing the pancakes. Every few minutes, out of the corner of her eye, Mary Margaret could see a small hand reaching into the bag. She didn't mind though, she thought it was cute that Emma was trying to be sneaky and eat the chocolate. Even if Mary Margaret hadn't seen Emma taking them, the chocolate on her face and her fingers would have given it away.

Emma just shook her head. She didn't want to tell her mommy that she had been sneaking some when she wasn't looking.

"Oh, no," Mary Margaret said with a gasp. "Maybe we have a chocolate thief running around the apartment."

"Maybe we do," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Do you know what I think?" Mary Margaret asked Emma with a raise of her eyebrows and as she leaned down close to her.

"What?" Emma asked, curious about what she was going to say.

"I think our little chocolate thief is named Emma," Mary Margaret said as she tickled Emma's belly, causing those sweet little giggles to come out.

"How did you know?" Emma asked in between her laughs.

"Because you have chocolate all over your face," Mary Margaret said as she grabbed a washcloth to wipe it all away.

"Oh…sorry" Emma said as she looked up, with a grin.

"That's okay. Were they yummy?"

"Mhmm," Emma said, opening her big green eyes wide, as she nodded her head.

"Well, good. I think we should put the rest of them in the pancakes though."

"Me too," Emma agreed.

Emma and Mary Margaret finished making their pancakes and enjoyed every single bite. These were the best pancakes Emma ever tasted. She never wanted to eat freezer pancakes again. The next task for the day was painting Emma's room. Mary Margaret hoped they wouldn't make as big of a mess with the paint as they did with the pancakes.

Painting Emma's room went on without too many mishaps…only one small spill and a few drops of paint in Emma's blonde hair. They managed to get the whole room completed, only stopping once for a quick lunch break. Not too bad considering the room was being partially painted by a five-year-old. Emma had a blast painting with her mommy. She only painted a couple times at school and that was only on small pieces of paper. Walls were much more fun to paint.

After dinner, Mary Margaret gave Emma a bath. She needed to get all of that paint out of Emma's hair before she had her first day of school tomorrow. Luckily, the purple spots came out fairly easily and all that was left by the end was Emma's beautiful blonde locks. Once Emma was squeaky clean and had her new purple pajamas on, she had to match her new purple room of course, she walked out into the living room and spotted her storybook she had left there this morning. She ran right over and scooped it up. She forgot that she wanted her mommy to read the stories so she could remember that she was actually Snow White.

"Mo…Mary Margaret, can we read this now?" Emma asked as she took the book over to her. She almost messed up and called Mary Margaret mommy by mistake. She made a mental note the first night she met her to not call her mommy until she remembered everything. She didn't want Mary Margaret to get freaked out about Emma calling her mommy. Then she might send her back and Emma would never see her again.

"Sure sweetie," Mary Margaret said as she took the book from Emma and led her over to the couch, not noticing Emma's little slip up.

Emma curled up onto next to Mary Margaret and waited for her to start reading. Mary Margaret opened the book and started to read. Emma noticed she was reading the story about Cinderella and that wouldn't do.

"No, no, read this one," Emma said as she quickly turned to the story about her mommy and daddy…the one with Snow White and Prince Charming in it. She liked Cinderella's story, but she thought this one would help her mommy remember.

"Okay, okay," Mary Margaret said with a laugh. "What do we have here. Oh…Snow White. She's my favorite princess, you know."

Emma covered her mouth and let out a small giggle. She thought it was funny that her mommy's favorite princess was actually herself.

Mary Margaret read through the story and was fascinated by the tale. This was definitely a different version than she had heard before. She liked this Snow White even more than the one from the stories she heard growing up.

"A pulse of pure love shuddered out and engulfed the land, waking up Snow White and bringing light to the darkness…" Mary Margaret read.

This was the part. The part where Prince Charming broke the curse and woke up Snow White. This was a big part in the story, she had to remember after hearing this. Emma looked up at her mommy, hoping to see a lightbulb to go off or a spark to show in her eyes, but nothing happened. Emma sighed, it didn't work…she didn't remember yet. Maybe she just needed to read some more. Emma talked Mary Margaret into reading one more story before bedtime. This time Mary Margaret picked, and they read about Hansel and Gretel. Her mommy and daddy weren't in it, but maybe something about the story would bring back her mommy's memory…at least Emma hoped that it would.

After reading some of the second story, Mary Margaret looked down to find Emma fast asleep. She knew Emma was very tired after their long day and that she probably wouldn't make it too far into this story. She was proven correct when she started to hear deep breaths and light snores coming from the sleeping girl beside her. Mary Margaret quietly closed the book and placed it onto the coffee table. She carefully picked Emma up in her arms and carried her up to her room. The room was dark and Mary Margaret made a mental note to get Emma a nightlight the next time she was at the store. She didn't want to turn the overhead light on because it might wake Emma up. She could see enough to get Emma into the bed though. Mary Margaret pulled the covers back and laid Emma down. She felt around for Emma's baby blanket and placed it gently on top of her, then covered her with the other blankets. She remembered what happened in the hospital when Emma didn't have her special blanket and didn't want her getting upset again. She knew this is how Emma liked to sleep with it and would know exactly where to find it if she awoke in the night. Mary Margaret sat for a few moments and just stared at the sweet little girl. She couldn't help but feel this overwhelming feeling of love for Emma. She didn't know what it was about her, she had only known her a few days and she already loved her so much. Mary Margaret loved Emma as if she were her very own.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _Hi everyone! Thank_ _you so much for all of the reviews. I appreciate them so much! Here's Emma's first day at her new school! I wonder how it will go? Enjoy :)_

"Do I have to go?" Emma asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes, sleepyhead. You have to go," Mary Margaret said as she picked Emma up and carried her down the stairs for breakfast. "You're going to love school!"

As Mary Margaret sat her down on the chair, Emma just groaned and laid her head down on the table. She didn't like mornings and getting up early…well at least on school days. Emma was only in kindergarten, but she had already been to three different schools. Being the new kid was not fun and Emma did not have fun at school. She could already read, so why did she have to go anyway?

"Can you sit up and eat for me, Em?" Mary Margaret asked as she placed a plate of food down on the table.

"Yeah," Emma said as she picked her head up and started to eat…very slowly.

Mary Margaret watched as Emma ate her breakfast. She couldn't tell if Emma was just tired or if she was nervous about her first day at Storybrooke Elementary. Emma had gotten plenty of sleep last night and the way Emma bounced out of bed yesterday morning, Mary Margaret knew she wasn't necessarily opposed to getting up early, so it must be the school thing. When Mary Margaret looked through the file that Emma's social worker had given her, she noticed that since Emma started school, she hadn't spent more than a couple weeks at one place. She never got settled in and had a chance to get use to the school routine. She hoped once Emma was at one school for a longer period, that she would feel more comfortable and enjoy going. Mary Margaret was determined to make this the last school Emma would ever go to. This little girl needed stability in her life, just like all children do, and Mary Margaret would be the one to give that to her.

"All finished?" Mary Margaret asked when Emma had stopped eating and most of the food on her plate was gone.

"Mhmm," Emma said quietly. She was trying to eat slower to put off going to school, but once she started she realized how hungry she was, and she forgot that she was going to eat really really slow. Now she was going to have to think of a new way to put off going to school.

"How about we go get your brand new school clothes on!" Mary Margaret said with some enthusiasm, trying to get Emma excited about the day.

"Can we read a story from my book?" Emma asked as she hopped down from the chair and ran to where she left her storybook last night, ignoring what her mommy said about school clothes.

Mary Margaret sighed and walked over to where Emma had ran off to. "How about we get dressed first, then if we have time I would be happy to read one of your stories."

"I really want to read one now," Emma said as she put on her best pouty face and looked up at her mommy with those big green eyes.

For a split second Mary Margaret almost gave in, that look was just too precious. She shook her head and remembered the task at hand…getting ready for school. "We have to get dressed first Emma," Mary Margaret told her in a no nonsense tone.

"Okay fine," Emma said as she let her head drop and placed the book back on the table.

The girls made their way upstairs to get Emma ready for the day. Emma did everything she could think of to prolong the process. She thought maybe if they were late, then they wouldn't have to go. She walked up the stairs really slowly. She did the same when it was time to brush her teeth, brushing every single tooth extra careful. She changed her mind about which outfit she wanted to wear, twice. She got completely dressed once, then told Mary Margaret that she wanted to wear her other outfit. Mary Margaret agreed and helped Emma into a different outfit. Emma also asked Mary Margaret to do her hair over three different times. First, Emma asked for a ponytail, but changed her mind as soon as Mary Margaret had finished. That's when she asked for only half of her hair up and the rest of it down.

"Wait, not this way either," Emma said as she reached up to pull the hair tie out of her hair.

"Emma…" Mary Margaret sighed as the very indecisive little girl ruined the hairstyle she had just given her. Mary Margaret knew what Emma was doing, but she was playing along. At first, they did have some time before they were going to be late, but now they needed to get moving. "Emma you may pick one more hairstyle, but that's it. The next one I do is the last one, okay?"

"Okay. Can you just do two braids?" Emma asked starting to feel defeated, she was out of ideas on how to make them late for school.

Emma was finally dressed and ready for the day. Mary Margaret was thankful that she had already gotten herself ready before she woke Emma up and that she made their lunches last night because they didn't have time for anything else. They had just enough time to get to school.

"But what about my story?" Emma asked as Mary Margaret was rushing her out the door.

"Emma, we'll read it later."

"But you said…" Emma started to complain.

"I said we could read it if we had time, but we have to leave now sweetie," Mary Margaret told Emma as she held onto her hand and left the apartment.

Emma became very nervous as her mommy led her down to her new classroom. Those butterflies were flying around her tummy again. She really didn't want to go, but she also didn't want to cause any trouble either. She didn't want to give her mommy any reason to send her back. Emma was trying really hard to be brave.

"Here we are Em," Mary Margaret said as they started to walk into the classroom. "This is your teacher, Miss Andrews."

"Hi Emma," Miss Andrews said as she knelt down and gave Emma a smile. "We are so glad to have you join our class."

"Emma can you say 'hi' to your teacher?" Mary Margaret said to Emma, who was hiding behind her legs at the moment.

Emma peeked her head around and gave a small wave to her new teacher. She did seem like a nice teacher, but Emma couldn't be sure. She looked up at her mommy, her eyes begging her not to leave.

Mary Margaret, noticing the look in Emma's eyes, turned and kneeled down in front of her. "Emma, you are going to have so much fun today and I'll be back at the end of the day to pick you up."

"Do you have to go?" Emma whispered as she looked down at the ground.

"I have my own class I have to go teach. I will be just upstairs if you need anything, okay?" Mary Margaret said as she placed her fingers under Emma's chin, lifting her little head up.

"Okay," Emma said as she wrapped her arms around her mommy. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered in her ear just before letting go.

"I'll miss you too," Mary Margaret said, holding back the tears that were forming in her eyes. She didn't want to leave Emma either.

Emma went with her new teacher further into the classroom. Miss Andrews showed Emma all around the classroom. She showed Emma where her seat was and the cubby where she could put her backpack and coat. She also introduced Emma to the rest of the class.

Emma made it through the morning routine just fine. She didn't participant in any of the songs or raise her hand to answer any questions though. She just sat and took it all in. Emma thought her teacher was really nice, and the other kids in the classroom seemed okay. Emma got to show Miss Andrews how well she could read too. Miss Andrews called her over to her desk and had Emma read a few books for her. She needed to assess Emma's reading level in order to place her in the correct reading group. Emma was very proud of herself when she read straight through the stories without any mistakes. It wasn't until center time that Emma started to get a little anxious and miss her mommy.

Emma was at the center where she had to write the letter K. That was the letter of the week. Emma finished it in just a few minutes and had to wait until it was time to move to the next center. She started drawing a picture on the back of her paper, but then decided to stop. All she could think about was how much she wanted to see her mommy. She hoped that her mommy missed her too, but what if she didn't? What if her mommy didn't come back to get her? What if she left her here and never saw her again? Emma thought back to one of her foster families that did just that. Everything seemed to be going great. Emma liked being at their house. Then, one day they sent her to school just like always, but never came back to get her. She sat in the office for hours waiting for them to come pick her up, but they never did. Eventually, the principal of the school had to call Emma's social worker. She came to pick her up and took her back to the group home. Emma never saw those foster parents again. Emma had no idea why they left her, but what if Mary Margaret left her too, just like they did…

All of those thoughts running through Emma's head made her start to cry. The tears were rolling down her cheeks and she couldn't stop them. Small cries were coming from her mouth and she couldn't make herself be quiet.

"Miss Andrews, she's crying," said one of the boys in Emma's group, causing all of the other kids in the class to look at her.

Emma looked around and those butterflies in her tummy were back. Her cheeks were really warm too. Emma tried to stop crying, but she couldn't help it. It was even worse now that everyone was looking at her.

"Emma, come with me honey," Miss Andrews said as she led Emma over to her desk.

Emma looked down as she followed her teacher, trying to avoid the eyes of all the other kids looking at her.

"Emma, can you tell me what's wrong?" Miss Andrews asked, even though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"I…miss…Mary Margaret," Emma said in between her sniffles.

"I know you do, but you will get to see her real soon, I promise. She's going to pick you up as soon as school is over."

"But I wanna see her now," Emma said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"How about this…recess is in just a few minutes, let's see how you're feeling after we go outside to play, and if you still miss her we can walk by her classroom on the way to lunch. How does that sound?"

"Okay," Emma said, agreeing to Miss Andrews' plan. Emma did always like recess and after she would get to see her mommy.

Emma was on the playground having so much fun, she had pretty much forgotten how much she missed her mommy earlier. The first thing she did when her class got outside was swing on the swings. She pumped her legs really hard and got the swing to go super high. She tried out the monkey bars, but fell off before making it all the way across. She jumped right up and went over to the slide. She went down it a bunch of times. She was just coming down for the last time when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey little one," Mary Margaret said with a smile as she made her way over to Emma. She had called Miss Andrews just before recess to check on Emma. She couldn't help herself, she had to know how her morning was going. Miss Andrews told her about Emma getting upset, but assured her that she was fine now. She also told Mary Margaret about promising Emma that they could walk past her classroom on their way to lunch. Mary Margaret thought that was a great idea, but her fourth graders were at music class right now and she knew Emma would be out here, so she just had to come see her.

"Mary Margaret!" Emma said with excitement as she hopped off the end of the slide and ran into her arms.

"Hi sweetie! Did you have a good morning?" Mary Margaret asked as she scooped Emma up.

"It was okay. I got sad though because I missed you," Emma said as she continued to hold on tight to her mommy.

"You did? Well, you know you get to see me when schools over silly," Mary Margaret said, wanting to reinforce the fact that she was going to be there to get Emma at the end of the school day.

"You promise you'll pick me up? You won't leave me?" Emma asked as she looked into her mommy's eyes, making sure what she said was really true.

"Emma, I will never leave you, okay? I will always be here for you," Mary Margaret told Emma very seriously, wanting her to know she meant every word.

Emma looked deep into her mommy's eyes and knew she was telling the truth. She gave her mommy a big smile and wrapped her arms around her once more. Her mommy would always come back for her and Emma knew that now.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 _Okay so, I know Charming is listed as one of the characters in my story and he will be in the majority of this story and he will not be a "stepfather" figure at all, I promise. I was planning for this story to be very long. I am just trying to take things slow and take my time with it. I love Daddy Charming and Emma! There will be lots of that to come. Please just be patient with me. I want to make everybody happy, so I've combined my next 2 chapters and put them into one for you. No, you will not see Charming yet, but this will help move things along. I will tell you that Charming makes an appearance in the next chapter. I don't want to tell you anymore because I don't want to spoil the story for everyone :)_

 _I hope everyone enjoys this extra long chapter! :)_

About a month had passed, and Emma was adjusting very well to her life in Storybrooke with Mary Margaret. She absolutely loved school now and was excited to go everyday. She loved her teacher and even made several new friends. Now, after school, Emma went straight up to Mary Margaret's classroom all by herself. Emma loved going up to Mary Margaret's classroom at the end of the day. She liked to watch her mommy grade papers and help her with things around the classroom. She especially liked it when some of the big fourth grade girls would stay after school and help too. Emma really liked them. Emma also loved going to Granny's. She talked Mary Margaret into taking her there almost everyday, even if they just stopped in real quick to get some hot chocolate. They had settled into a routine and one very important part of that routine was reading Emma's storybook.

"Come on, we have to read a story," Emma said as she dragged her mommy by the hand over to the couch.

Emma had been asking her mommy to read her stories from her storybook everyday…twice a day actually. Emma got ready really fast in the mornings now, so they would have time for a story before school. They would also read one right before bed time. Emma thought that if she could get her mommy to read these stories enough, eventually she might remember who she really is, so it was very important for them to read their morning story right now.

"Emma can't we pick a different book?" Mary Margaret asked. She had read through these stories so many times.

"No, we have to read this one," Emma insisted.

"Okay," Mary Margaret sighed. "Which one are we reading today?"

"This one," Emma said as she turned the page to her choice for the morning.

"Snow White again?"

"Mhmm," Emma said with a smile.

"It's a good thing that this one is my favorite," Mary Margaret told her with a wink.

Emma sat back and listened to her mommy read the story. This time Emma kept her eyes focused on her mommy, instead of the pictures on the pages. She hoped that maybe she would see something on her face that showed she remembered, but Mary Margaret got to the end of the story and nothing…she still didn't remember. Emma let her head fall. She didn't know what else to do. They read these stories lots and lots, but Mary Margaret didn't remember anything. Emma was becoming really frustrated and upset. She was starting to get really scared that her mommy would never remember, and she would never find her daddy. What if she could never break the curse? Emma didn't know what to do.

"Alright little one, ready for…" Mary Margaret started to say when she looked down and saw Emma's head drooping. "Emma what's the matter?"

"Nothing," Emma said as she shook her head.

"Emma, talk to me. Are feeling okay?" she asked as she felt Emma's forehead for any sign of a fever.

"I'm fine. Can we just go to school?" Emma asked as she looked up with sad little eyes.

"Sure, let's go," Mary Margaret said, knowing that Emma didn't have a fever, but that something was definitely off about her behavior. She thought maybe once Emma got to school, she would be okay.

Let's just say Emma was not okay once she got to school. She had a very bad day. First, Emma was too busy worrying about how to make her mommy remember that she read two words wrong while reading this week's sight words for a test. Emma never missed a word before. That made Emma so upset that she didn't do the work she was suppose to do at her centers. Miss Andrews reminded Emma a few times that she needed to complete the work, but Emma didn't listen. When it came time for recess, she wished she had though.

"Emma can you come here please?" Miss Andrews said as all of the other students were lining up for recess.

Emma nervously walked over to her teacher, she didn't know what she was going to say. Emma knew she didn't complete her work, would she be in trouble?

"Emma, here's all of your work you didn't complete during center time. I need you to go to the classroom across the hall and finish it for me."

"But, don't I get to go outside?" Emma asked.

"Not today, Emma. If you don't at least try to do your work, you don't get to go out for recess."

"No, I'm sorry. I really want to go outside and play. Please?" Emma asked, now wishing she had done her work. She never had to miss recess before.

"I'm sorry Emma, those are the rules. You'll get to come out with us tomorrow if you do your work."

Emma slumped her shoulders and took her work across the hall. She sat down at one of the desks and started in on her assignments. She could see the class playing outside, having so much fun. Emma really wished she was out there too. Once, she finished all of her work, there was still 10 minutes of recess left. Emma knew she wasn't going to be allowed to go outside, so instead she filled the time trying to come up with ways to break the curse and make her mommy remember. She couldn't think of anything though and only became even more frustrated.

When recess was over, Emma joined her class for lunch. Her mommy packed her an extra yummy lunch today and Emma was excited to eat it. The rest of the day went along without any more problems…well at least until it was time to pack up for the day and go home.

"I saw you missed two words on your sight words test. Guess your not very smart after all," said a teasing voice from behind Emma.

Emma turned around to see Marta. Marta was not a very nice girl. She was fake nice to the grown ups, but she was mean to some of the other kids in the class. Now, it was apparently Emma's turn to get picked on.

"So what," Emma said as she stood in line with her backpack, waiting to for everyone to be dismissed so she could go upstairs and see her mommy. "I already know those words anyway."

"No you don't" Marta continued to taunt Emma. Marta liked to get the other kids mad enough so that they would do something to get themselves in trouble. Emma knew this, but she still fell for it. She couldn't help it, this was just not a good day.

"Yes I do," Emma insisted, becoming angry.

"No, you're just stupid," Marta said with a grin.

"I am not," Emma said as she pushed Marta, causing her to fall and knock down three other students who were waiting in line. Emma gasped and quickly regretted what she had just done.

"Emma!" Miss Andrews said from behind.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Emma said quickly. Emma really didn't mean it. She was just so upset about everything else that she let what Marta said really get to her.

"Emma, come with me please," Miss Andrews said as she pulled Emma to the side. "The rest of you may go to your buses now."

Emma watched as the rest of the class left. "But I have to go see my…see Mary Margaret," Emma said as she looked up at her teacher, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm going to have Mary Margaret come down here and get you today. Why don't you go have a seat by my desk."

Emma nodded her head and did what she was told. She watched Miss Andrews go over to the phone and make a call. Emma knew she was calling her mommy to tell her what just happened. Emma got very nervous. She didn't want her mommy to be mad at her. What would she do? Would she get in big trouble? Would she send her back? Emma didn't know and that scared her.

When Emma heard her mommy coming into the room, she didn't dare look up at her. Emma kept her head down, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Hi, Emma," Mary Margaret said as she sat down in the chair next to the guilty looking little girl.

Emma looked up at her mommy, but didn't know what to say. She looked disappointed and that was worse than mad.

"Want to tell Mary Margaret what happened just a few minutes ago?" Miss Andrews asked as she sat down at her desk.

"No," Emma said quietly as she let her head drop again.

"Emma I think you need to tell me," Mary Margaret said.

Emma took a deep breath. "I pushed Marta and other kids fell down too."

"Emma why did you do that?" Mary Margaret asked calmly.

Emma just shrugged her shoulders, still looking down.

"Emma look at me," she said as she gently lifted her chin. "Tell me why you pushed that other little girl."

"Because she said I was stupid and she was teasing me. Marta is mean," Emma told her.

"Emma I'm sorry that she said those things to you, but that does not give you the right to push her. Do you understand? You could have really hurt her and those other children."

"I know, I'm sorry I won't do it ever again. Just please don't send me back," Emma said as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Oh Emma," Mary Margaret said as she picked Emma up off of the chair and held her in her arms. "I am not going to send you back, not ever."

It broke Mary Margaret's heart that Emma would think such a thing. Those other foster families must have really done a number on her. Every time she messed up, even a little, you could see the fear in her eyes that she was going to be sent away again. One time at dinner, Emma spilled her glass of milk all over the table and immediately burst into tears. It took Mary Margaret almost 20 minutes to get her to calm down. Emma just kept begging her over and over again to not be mad and to not give her away. Mary Margaret tried to show Emma over and over again that she would never be sending her back. This was the first time that Emma had gotten in trouble at school though, so it did make sense that Emma might need a little reminder again.

"Emma, I will be sure to talk to Marta about this tomorrow. I'm sorry she was teasing you. Next time you tell me about it though, no pushing. Okay?" Miss Andrews said once Emma had calmed down a bit.

"Okay," Emma said as she nodded her head.

Mary Margaret thanked Miss Andrews for her help and took Emma home. The rest of the evening went pretty well. They ate her dinner, colored a few pictures, and Emma had her bath. Mary Margaret could still tell that something about Emma was just off.

"Ready for your story, Em?" Mary Margaret asked as she sat down next to Emma on the couch.

"Yeah, I guess so," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders. She knew her mommy wasn't going to remember, so she wasn't very excited to read tonight.

Emma listened as her mommy read the part of the story where the Evil Queen had cast the curse and it was coming. Emma had just been born and her daddy had to get her to the wardrobe fast, before the Evil Queen arrived. Emma looked at the picture of herself as a baby, wrapped in her blanket.

"Oh!" Mary Margaret said, as if she had just realized something.

Emma looked up and her mommy. She was looking right at the picture just like Emma had been. Did her mommy remember something? Did she finally recognize baby Emma? Did she remember the blanket? Did she finally know that the man on the page was her true love?Emma looked up hoping that her mommy finally remembered that she was Snow White, that she was her mommy.

"What? Do you remember?" Emma asked excitedly, practically jumping out of her seat.

"Remember? Of course I remember," Mary Margaret said with a smile. Emma couldn't help the huge smile that spread across her face. "We've read this story so many times how could I forget. I just realized that the name on the baby blanket says Emma. That princess has the same name as you."

Emma felt as if her world was crashing all around her. She thought for a split second that her mommy was actually remembering…that reading these stories over and over again was actually working, but she was wrong. It wasn't working. Emma was never going to get her mommy to remember. She was never going to find her daddy. She was never going to break the curse. Emma couldn't help it when she burst into tears.

Mary Margaret jumped at the sound of Emma's cries. What on earth happened? "Emma," Mary Margaret said as she quickly set the book down and placed a wailing Emma on her lap. "What's wrong little one?"

"I…don't…know," Emma said in between her sobs. That was all Emma could say. She couldn't tell Mary Margaret what was really wrong. She couldn't just tell her about the curse. She would never believe her. Emma didn't know what to do. She just laid her head down and continued to cry.

"It's okay, Em," Mary Margaret said as she rubbed soothing circles on her back, trying to calm her down. Mary Margaret new Emma had a rough day. She didn't know what was going on with her. She just knew Emma needed her right now and she would be there for her. Mary Margaret just continued to comfort Emma until her cries finally subsided and her breathing started to even out. She looked down to find Emma fast asleep in her arms. Mary Margaret gently carried Emma into her room. She thought it might be best if Emma slept with her for the night, especially after the rough day she had. She laid Emma down and climbed into bed next to her. She brushed the tears from her little cheeks and gave her a kiss on the forehead, hoping that tomorrow would be a better day.

Emma rolled over in bed and slowly opened her eyes. She realized that she wasn't in her room. She was in her mommy's bed. She couldn't remember how she got here. Did she have a nightmare and come downstairs in the middle of the night? Or did she just sleep here all night? Emma just shrugged her shoulders and turned to face her mommy who was still sound asleep. As Emma looked at her mommy, she just smiled. She had the most beautiful mommy in the world. She really wished that her mommy remembered though, but that's okay. Emma was just glad that she gets to be here with her now. Emma really wished that she could find her daddy too. She hasn't seen him anywhere around town yet. She wondered where he was. But, Emma knew she would break the curse eventually and have her whole family back someday soon. Emma just smiled and really wanted her mommy to wake up, so she reached out her hand, brushed it down Mary Margaret's cheek.

Mary Margaret smiled when she felt Emma's little hand on her face. She opened her eyes and could instantly tell that Emma was in a much better mood than she was yesterday.

"Good morning," Mary Margaret said as she held onto Emma's hand and gave it a kiss.

"Hi," Emma said with a little giggle.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Mary Margaret asked as she brushed the hair out of Emma's face.

"Mhmm," Emma said with a grin.

"What do you want to do today?" Mary Margaret asked Emma.

"We have school today, remember?" Emma said.

"Oh that's right," Mary Margaret said as she put her hand on her forehead, pretending to forget all about school. "How about we just skip school today?"

"Really?" Emma said, intrigued by the idea.

"Yup, we're just going to have a girls day. Just you and me. Sound good?" Mary Margaret said as she reached out to tickle Emma's belly. She just loved hearing that little laugh of hers.

"Yes…yes!" Emma said in between her giggles. That sounded like the best idea ever.

Mary Margaret decided that they both needed a mental health day from school, especially after Emma's day yesterday. It broke Mary Margaret's heart when Emma was practically begging her to not send her back after the incident at school. Mary Margaret felt she needed some one on one time with Emma and it couldn't wait until the weekend. Emma's social worker had explained that Emma had a hard time trusting people after all of the different families she had been with over the years. She said that when Emma acted out that was the most important time to show her how much you cared about her. Not saying she should get away with bad behavior though. Mary Margaret talked with Emma about her actions yesterday, which not only included pushing Marta and causing the other kids to fall, but also not listening to her teacher about completing her center work. Emma knew what she did was wrong and she knew she was never to do something like that again. Now, Mary Margaret just wanted to give Emma a fun-filled day and show her just how much she cared about her.

"Please, please can we go?" Emma said as she practically jumped up and down.

"Yes, Emma. We can go to Granny's for breakfast," Mary Margaret said with a laugh. How could she say no that cute little face?

"Yay!" Emma said as she ran over to get her coat and shoes on.

The girls made their way to the diner. They decided to walk. It was a beautiful day and the fresh air would do them both some good.

"Hi Ruby!" Emma said as she ran full force at her favorite waitress.

"What are you doing here?" she said as she picked Emma up. "Don't you have school today? Don't you both have school today?" Ruby asked eying up her friend who was close behind Emma.

"We didn't go today," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Yeah we decided to take the day off," Mary Margaret told Ruby with a smile.

"Well I'm glad you're here. I assume you'll be wanting some hot chocolate?" Ruby asked as she placed Emma back on the ground. Emma gave her a big smile and nodded her head before running over to their usual booth.

"Thanks Ruby," Mary Margaret said before joining Emma.

While the girls ate their breakfast, they made a plan for their day off from school. First, Emma really really wanted to go to the beach. She never got to go to one before. She never even got to play in a sandbox before. She wondered what sand felt like in between her toes. Next, Emma wanted to go home and play her board games. She loved playing them so much. She and her mommy played them a few times, but they hadn't played them in awhile. Plus, her mommy promised to teach her how to play Go Fish with their new deck of cards and Emma wanted her to teach her today. Then she thought they could watch some movies, color, and a whole bunch of other fun stuff.

"Come on, come on. I can see it," Emma said as she dragged Mary Margaret by the hand towards the beach.

Mary Margaret just smiled as Emma drug her along.

"Wow it's so big," Emma said with amazement as she stood staring at the bright blue water in front of her. She couldn't believe her eyes. The ocean was so big. Emma didn't think she had ever seen anything so big before.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Mary Margaret asked as she knelt down behind Emma and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

"Yeah, can we go in it? Can we," Emma asked as she turned around and looked her mommy.

"It's a little too cold to go into the water today Em, but you can take your shoes off and feel the sand," Mary Margaret told her.

"Okay!" Emma said, so excited to finally feel the sand in between her toes. She plopped down onto the ground and tried to take her shoes off. "Ugh, can you help me?" Emma said as she lifted her foot up in the air. She couldn't get the stupid thing off.

"Sure," Mary Margaret said with a laugh as she bent down to help the very frustrated little girl.

Emma finally had her shoes off and her feet in the sand. The sand felt funny. She liked it. She wiggled her toes and felt something hard. She dug her hand into the sand and pulled out a seashell.

"Look, look what I found," Emma said as she held it up to show her mommy.

"Wow, that is a very pretty one," Mary Margaret told her.

"Let's go find some more!" Emma said as she jumped up to look for some more pretty shells.

Emma and Mary Margaret spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon walking along the beach finding seashells and enjoying the salty breeze. Emma was having so much fun that she didn't want to leave when Mary Margaret told her that it was time to go. Mary Margaret had to promise Emma a very super special lunch in order to get her to go home.

"What are we having? What are we having?" Emma asked as she bounced up and down on the bar stool and watched her mommy dig through the freezer to get out their super special lunch.

"You'll see," Mary Margaret said with a grin. She knew Emma was going to love this.

Emma watched as her mommy got something out of the freezer, but she couldn't see what it was. Then she watched her pull a few things out of the fridge and from the cupboards. Her mommy was keeping her back to her, so Emma had no idea what she was holding until she turned around and placed it all onto the counter.

"Ice cream sundaes? For lunch?" Emma asked, her eyes wide with amazement at the yummy treat that sat before her.

"Yup! It's a special day, so we get a special lunch," Mary Margaret told her.

Emma could hardly contain her excitement. She would have been beyond thrilled with just ice cream, but her mommy had so many other yummy things to go with it. She had rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and even cherries. Emma knew this was going to be the best sundae she ever tasted.

Emma was right, it was delicious. She still couldn't believe that she was allowed to have ice cream for lunch. Now, she was ready to play some games. They played a few rounds of Candy Land, Hi Ho! Cherry-O, and Chutes & Ladders. Emma loved these games so much. Mary Margaret didn't mind playing them, but not over and over again like Emma wanted to. After their third round of Chutes & Ladders, Mary Margaret decided to get out the deck of cards and finally teach Emma how to play Go Fish, she had been asking for awhile to learn how to play.

"Do you have any sixes?" Emma asked with hopeful eyes.

"Go fish," Mary Margaret told her with a smile.

"Aw man," Emma said as she reluctantly drew a card from the pile.

"Do you have any fours?" Mary Margaret asked with a raise of her eyebrows. She knew Emma did. Emma just picked up the last card from the pile and it was a match to the six for which she had just asked. There were only two more cards left in play. Mary Margaret had the four and Emma had the other.

"Ugh, you get my last one," Emma said with a pouty face.

"Sorry little one," Mary Margaret said with shrug of her shoulders as she placed the cards next to her other pairs. "Time to count up our matches."

"11! I have 11," Emma said with smile, hoping she had won.

"Good job, Em. I have 15," Mary Margaret told her.

"Who won?" Emma asked.

"Well, whoever has the most wins, so which number is bigger?" Mary Margaret asked, not able to help but throw a little math lesson into their game.

"I think 15," Emma said sadly. "You win, right?"

"Yes I do. Good game," Mary Margaret said as she reached out her hand. They practiced being good winners and good losers. Whether you win or lose you have to be a good sport.

"Good game," Emma said with a smile and she reached out her hand to her mommy. Emma had already won the first two games of Go Fish, so she was glad that her mommy won this time.

After they were finished with their games, the girls had some dinner. Mary Margaret made sure Emma had a balanced plate to make up for the ice cream they had for lunch. After dinner was bath time, then of course reading some of Emma's storybook before bed.

"Can we do this again tomorrow?" Emma asked as she laid in her bed, looking up at her mommy.

"Sorry sweetie, we have to go back to school tomorrow," Mary Margaret said as she set Emma's book down on her bedside table.

"Okay," Emma said as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"We're going to have a good day tomorrow, right?" Mary Margaret asked Emma.

"Yeah, it'll be a good day," Emma told her with a little grin.

"That's my girl," Mary Margaret said as she pulled the covers up around Emma.

"I had a lot of fun today," Emma told her mommy. This was probably the best day she had ever had actually.

"Me too," Mary Margaret told her with a smile. She was so glad she decided to play hooky and just have a girl's day. They both really needed this time together. "Goodnight little one," Mary Margaret said as she gave Emma a kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight," Emma said with a yawn as her eyes began to close and she drifted off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 _Hi everybody! I want to thank you for the words of encouragement after the last chapter. I really needed that! I'm glad you all are enjoying my story. Thanks so much for the kind words. I really really appreciate them! Enjoy :)_

"Are you sure we can't stay home again today?" Emma asked as Mary Margaret was helping her put on her coat.

"Yes, Emma. We have to go back to school today," Mary Margaret said with a laugh.

"Okay," Emma said as she reached up to hold her mommy's hand as they walked out the door. She didn't actually mind going back to school today, she just had so much fun yesterday that she wanted to do it all over again.

Emma had a much better day at school. She got to go to art class, which was her absolute favorite. They had been working with clay for the past couple of weeks and last time they were there they got to paint their projects. This time they would be dry and Emma would get to take hers home. She was very proud of the little bowl that she made, and she couldn't wait to give it to her mommy. She worked really hard on it and really hoped her mommy liked it. Emma also got to finally be the fish feeder today. Miss Andrews had special jobs for the students to do. There was a line leader, a paper passer, a chalk board cleaner, and a door holder too. Emma had been waiting and waiting for so long to finally be the fish feeder and today was her day. Emma just loved their cute little fish, Pudge. She loved to watch him swim over to the side of the bowl and make fishy faces at her. Emma was careful to sprinkle only a few pellets of food into the bowl. She then watched closely as he ate them right up. Between that and art class, her day was going great! However, Emma did have to sit out at recess for pushing Marta and knocking all of the other kids down the other day. Emma didn't mind so much though because Marta had to miss her recess too for calling Emma stupid and teasing her. Marta was not very happy about that.

After school, Emma could hardly wait to get upstairs to where her mommy's classroom was to give her the little bowl she made. She wanted to run so badly, but she didn't. Emma had to remind herself several times to use walking feet in the hallway…well today she was going to use super fast walking feet.

"Mary Margaret! Look! Look what I made you," Emma said as she came into the room and ran over to her mommy. She wasn't in the hallway anymore, so she was allowed to run now.

"Oh my goodness. It's beautiful Emma," Mary Margaret said as she knelt down in front of the excited kindergartener and admired her gift.

"See the little flowers I painted on the sides? Do you like them?" Emma asked with a big smile.

"I love them, Emma! Thank you," Mary Margaret said as she pulled her in for a hug. She was truly touched that Emma chose to give her special art project to her.

Emma wrapped her arms around her mommy and held on tight. She was so glad that she liked her little bowl and that she was finally able to give it to her. Keeping this project a secret was really hard. Emma wanted to tell her mommy about it so badly, she almost let it slip a few times.

"Miss Blanchard, we got the art supplies from the closet," said one of Mary Margaret's fourth graders as she entered the room.

"Oh thank you sweetie. Just set it down there for me," Mary Margaret told her.

"Paige!" Emma said as she ran over to her friend. Paige was one of the big kids that stayed after school to help Mary Margaret sometimes. Emma loved it when she was here. "Is Tessa coming too?" Emma asked excitedly.

"Yeah, she's coming. She's just getting some more stuff from the art closet," Paige told her. "Are you coming to the hospital with us today?"

"I don't know?" Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders. Then she got a little nervous. Why were they going to the hospital? Emma didn't want to go there. She hated it there. She quickly ran over to her mommy to make sure she didn't have to go to that scary place.

"Mo…Mary Margaret, are we going to the hospital?" Emma asked.

"Yeah babe we are," Mary Margaret said as she was sorting through the papers on her desk, not noticing the slight panic in Emma's voice.

"No…no…why? I…I'm not even sick. I promise," Emma said as tears started to well up in her eyes. She didn't want to go there. She didn't want to see Dr. Whale again.

Mary Margaret looked up after hearing Emma's terrified voice and saw the tears in her eyes and the look of fear on her face. She realized what Emma must be thinking.

"Oh…no, Emma, I know you're not sick," Mary Margaret said as she picked the little girl up in her arms. "We're going to the hospital to decorate with my class."

"Really?" Emma asked, still not trusting the fact that she wouldn't have to see a doctor or get a shot or something.

"Yes, Emma. See all of the art supplies my students are bringing in?" Mary Margaret said as she pointed to her students, who's arms were holding varies supplies from the art closet down the hall.

"Oh, okay," Emma said with a smile. She was feeling much better now.

"We're going to hang streamers and all kinds of pretty pictures. Do you think you can help us out?" Mary Margaret asked Emma, already knowing what the answer would be. This little girl loved arts and crafts.

"Yes, yes. I can help you!" Emma said with excitement as she wiggled down from her mommy's arms. She ran over to Paige and Tessa, her favorite fourth graders, and helped them pack up their boxes of supplies.

They finally got all of the decorations together, and they made their way over to the hospital.

"Well hello there Miss Emma," Dr. Whale said as they walked in.

Emma just clung to her mommy and didn't look up. She did not want to talk to him.

"Emma, please don't be rude. When someone tells you hello, you need to say it back," Mary Margaret told her.

"Hello," Emma said very quietly as lifted her eyes towards the doctor.

"Nice to see you Dr. Whale. We better be getting upstairs. Have a good day," Mary Margaret told him as she left with Emma and the rest of her class.

Emma was having so much fun helping all of the big kids decorate the hospital. They were really nice to her and let her do lots of things. She got to paint some pictures and help hang them up. When it was time to clean up, Emma became a little distracted and wandered towards the end of the big room they were decorating. She saw a small room with glass walls. She peeked inside and saw a man lying in there all by himself. Emma thought it was sad that he was in there all alone. She didn't know why he couldn't be out here with everyone else. She went to find one of the pictures she made and brought it back to the small room. She was going to hang it on the wall for him.

Emma held the picture in her hand and tiptoed over to the side of the bed…he looked like he was sleeping and she didn't want to wake him. Emma was curious and stood up tall to get a better look at the man.

Emma gasped and covered her mouth with her hands when she saw who the man really was. He had the same hair, the same mouth, and he even had the same scar that Prince Charming had in the storybook. This was Prince Charming. This was her daddy. Emma couldn't believe it. It was him. She found him. Finally, after all this time, he was right here. She had to wake him up. Emma slowly moved her little finger towards him. She poked his arm a few times, but that didn't work. She gently nudged his shoulder, then shook it a little harder when he still wouldn't wake. Why wouldn't he open his eyes? Why wouldn't he wake up? Emma didn't know. She didn't know what was wrong with him. She had to wake him up. She just had to. She was starting to panic, when her mommy walked into the room.

"Emma, all of the kids are gone. It's time to go home," Mary Margaret said as she walked into the room where neither she nor Emma were suppose to be.

"Wh-what's wrong with him?" Emma asked as she looked up at her mommy.

Mary Margaret noticed the look of worry in Emma's little eyes. "Oh sweetie, I don't know. He's been in here for as long as I can remember."

"Is he going to be okay?" Emma asked as she looked back at her daddy.

"I don't know, Em. He's in a coma."

"What's a coma?" Emma asked, she didn't know what that word meant, but she knew it didn't sound good.

Mary Margaret sighed as she thought about how she was going to explain what a coma was to a 5-year-old. "Well, his brain got hurt and it makes him stay asleep."

"Will he be asleep forever?" Emma asked, her voice becoming shaky. She was scared that her daddy would never wake up.

"Sweetie, I don't know he…"

"But he can't. He has to wake up. Please, please wake up," Emma said as she shook her daddy's arm even harder.

"Emma, honey, you can't do that," Mary Margaret said as she grabbed Emma's arms, stopping her from shaking the John Doe.

"No, we have to wake him up. We have to," Emma said as she reached out for him once more.

"Emma please don't do that," Mary Margaret said as she picked up the little girl.

"Don't you know who he is? You have to wake him up," Emma said desperately as she looked into her mommy's eyes.

"Emma, I don't know who he is. I can't wake him up," Mary Margaret told her, confused as to why Emma was so concerned with this man she didn't even know.

"You have to try, please!" Emma begged.

"Emma, we need to go home. I think it's time for bed," Mary Margaret said. She figured Emma must be tired. That was the only explanation Mary Margaret could come up with for her behavior.

"No!" Emma shouted over and over again as she wiggled herself, trying to get out of her mommy's arms. She wanted to stay with her daddy. He was all alone.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret said with shock as she tried to hold onto the squirming child in her arms.

"Put me down. I want to stay here. Put me down," Emma shouted as tears began to stream down her face.

Mary Margaret didn't know what to do. Emma had never thrown a tantrum like this before. She didn't know what had gotten into her. "Emma talk to me. What's the matter?"

Emma just continued to shout and attempt to get herself out of Mary Margaret's grasp. She was kicking her legs and throwing her arms around, doing anything she could think of to get down. Mary Margaret knew Emma was beyond talking to at this point. She was having a full on temper tantrum.

"Emma stop," Mary Margaret tried, but it didn't work. She knew her only choice now was to carry Emma out of here just like this…kicking and screaming.

Mary Margaret made her way out of the hospital, trying to avoid the staring eyes of all of the doctors and nurses. She made it to the car and had to fight Emma into her booster seat. When Emma's leg made contact with her stomach, that was when Mary Margaret lost her cool.

"Emma that is enough! You stop this right now," Mary Margaret said, as she held onto Emma's kicking feet.

Emma snapped out of it when she heard her mommy yell at her. She had never done that before. Emma looked up at her mommy and her eyes looked mad. Emma realized what she had just done. She didn't mean to throw a big fit like that. She just didn't want to leave her daddy. Emma got really scared that her mommy wouldn't want her anymore and would send her back. What had she done? Why did she kick and scream like that? Emma couldn't help it when she burst into tears.

Mary Margaret hated to hear Emma cry like this, but she was glad the kicking and shouting had finally stopped. Now she was able to get Emma buckled into her seat, the kicking had been making that very difficult.

"Emma, just calm down sweetie," Mary Margaret said as she brushed the hair out of her face.

Emma's cries subsided a little bit and Mary Margaret went to her seat. She started the car and drove home. Emma was still crying as they drove away from the hospital, but she was definitely more calm than she was a few minutes ago.

Mary Margaret was relieved when the car was quiet as they arrived home. She looked back to find Emma fast asleep…her cheeks stained from all of the tears. She even let out a few little sobs, her breathing hadn't quite caught back up with her yet. Mary Margaret sighed. She had no idea what had just happened. What about that man and made Emma get so upset? Mary Margaret couldn't figure it out.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 _I want to thank everyone for all of the reviews! They make me smile :) I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy :)_

 _She felt pain…the worst pain she had ever felt. There was physical pain, yes, but that was nothing compared to the emotional pain she was feeling after having to say goodbye to her newborn daughter. The pain was unimaginable. She felt as if part of her own heart had been ripped away. She carried around this bundle of joy inside of her for nine months. She felt her move inside of her. She talked to her. She and her loving husband sang her songs every night before they went to sleep. They had planned a whole life for their little girl and couldn't wait to teach her how to walk and how to talk. They wanted to teach her how to ride a horse, shoot a bow and arrow, and wield a sword. And just like that all of their dreams were ripped away. She cried out for her little girl that was taken away too soon. She had mere minutes with her beautiful baby before she had to hand her over. The Evil Queen's curse was coming, and they had to get their baby to safety so she could escape the horrors that this curse would bring and save them all. Escape the curse…she had to escape the curse. What if she didn't? What if something happened and her daughter didn't make it to the wardrobe…the wardrobe that had just enough magic for one. The wardrobe that would take her away from all of this. She had to make sure her husband got their baby girl there safely, that he didn't get stopped by the Evil Queen's black knights who were flooding the hallways of their castle. She slowly climbed out of bed and grabbed her stomach, feeling more of the physical pain as she tried to stand. She pushed it aside though, she had to check on her family. She made her way into her daughter's nursery, the one they had worked so hard to prepare, to where the wardrobe was waiting. When she entered the room, she saw her husband lying on the floor. He'd been hurt. She knelt down onto the ground and begged him to come back to her. She kissed him, hoping that would wake him. Her efforts were futile. The kisses of true love weren't working. She looked up when she heard people entering the nursery. It was her…the Evil Queen, the one who set all of this into motion, along with a few of her black knights. She looked around frantically for her little girl. Had she made it through? Was her husband able to get their daughter to safety? Her questions were answered when one of the black knights opened the wardrobe to find it empty, declaring that the child had gotten away. She sighed with relief. She knew that she would see her baby again one day, and she would save them all from the cursed lives they were about to live. She just held on tight to her husband as the wind gushed all around her and pulled her away from the only life she had ever known._

Mary Margaret sat up quickly as she was pulled from her dream. Her breathing was frantic as she looked around the room. That dream really shook her to the core. It all felt so real. She had to sit for a few minutes and remind herself that it was just a dream…that it wasn't real. Why did it all feel so real though? Losing her husband, losing her daughter, the curse taking them away…Mary Margaret felt like that was something she had actually experienced. She knew she didn't, but why did it all seem so familiar to her? Then she realized the events that took place in her dream were the same ones she had read over and over again. They were the stories she read to Emma from her big storybook. These events took place in the stories about Snow White and Prince Charming. It was odd though…not only did Mary Margaret have this dream about Snow White, but in this dream she _was_ Snow White. Mary Margaret just shook her head. This was all just silly. She wasn't the fairest of them all…she surely was no princess. She never had a husband or a baby…she's never even been pregnant before. She just had a little laugh at her crazy dream and went upstairs to check on her little princess who was probably about to wake up soon.

Emma rubbed her eyes and slowly opened them, squinting at the sun that was shining through her window. She rolled over and snuggled her blankey close as she thought about everything that happened yesterday. She should be happy, she finally found her daddy. She had been in Storybrooke for such a long time and could never find him. She looked all over for him. Everywhere she went she kept an eye out for him. She studied every man she walked by, hoping that one of them would be her daddy. None of them were him though, she was starting to lose hope that he was even here at all, but now she knew exactly where he was. He was at that scary hospital. No wonder Emma was never able to find him. She hated going there. Emma was glad that she finally found him, but he was sleeping though. Her mommy told her that he was in a car accident and his brain got hurt and that's why he was always sleeping now. He was all alone too. He was in that room all by himself. No one was in there with him. That made Emma feel sad. She wanted to be with her daddy. She wanted to stay with him so he wasn't afraid. Emma was always a little afraid when she was alone, especially when she was in the hospital. What if her daddy didn't like hospitals and doctors just like her? She didn't want her daddy to feel scared. Emma knew she had to get him out of there. She had to find a way to wake him up. He couldn't sleep forever…could he? No, there had to be something. Emma thought maybe she could read the storybook to him. Maybe he could listen while he slept and then he could remember. Then she sighed, it wasn't working to help her mommy remember, so it probably wouldn't make her daddy remember either. Then she thought of something from the storybook that just might work. True loves kiss. True loves kiss might wake him up! The only problem with that was that she would have to get her mommy to kiss him. She was his true love. Emma knew there was no way she could get Mary Margaret to kiss him…not unless she got her to remember. Emma sighed, she had been trying for weeks to get her mommy to remember and nothing was working. She didn't know what to do.

As Emma thought about her mommy and how to get her to go back to the hospital, she slowly started to remember everything that happened last night, especially how she acted. Emma remembered screaming at her mommy and not wanting to leave the hospital. Emma remembered her mommy having to carry her out, while she kicked and screamed the whole time. Emma knew she gave her mommy a really hard time when it was time to get into her booster seat too. She wasn't sure, but Emma thought she actually kicked her at some point. Emma definitely remembered her mommy yelling at her. That really scared Emma, her mommy had never yelled at her before. That was the last thing Emma remembered from last night. She must have fallen asleep on the way home and her mommy put her to bed. Emma didn't know why she even did that. She just couldn't help it. She didn't want to leave her daddy. Emma started to get really worried. She'd never thrown a tantrum like that before…well not that she could remember and especially never in front of her mommy. What if her mommy was really mad at her? What if she wanted to send her back? Emma knew she hadn't been on her best behavior lately. She didn't do her work at school, she pushed Marta and knocked down a bunch of other kids, and now this. What if that was Emma's last chance? What if she blew it and her mommy would never forgive her? Emma didn't know what to do. She couldn't be sent away again. She couldn't leave Storybrooke. She had to stay here and help her mommy and daddy remember and break the curse.

Emma jumped a little when she heard her mommy coming up the stairs. Emma wasn't ready…she wasn't ready for her mommy to tell her that she had to pack her bags and that it was time to leave. She didn't want to go. Emma quickly threw her covers up over her head to hide when she heard her mommy start to open the door.

Emma heard her getting closer and closer. She held on tight to the covers, so her mommy couldn't pull them down. If she couldn't see her, then she couldn't talk to her.

"Emma, are you awake?" Mary Margaret asked as she tried to pull the covers back. "Emma…let me see you," she said with a laugh as the little hands underneath of the covers prevented her from pulling them down. She knew Emma was awake and probably embarrassed about what happened last night.

Emma just continued to hold tight to her blankets, but her mommy was stronger and was eventually able to pull them away.

"Good morning," Mary Margaret told Emma with a smile as she sat down on the bed.

Emma just covered her face with her hands and turned away. She didn't want to give her mommy the chance to tell her that she had to leave.

"Emma, look at me," Mary Margaret said as she pulled Emma's hands away. She sighed when she saw that Emma's eyes were squeezed shut.

"Emma can you open your eyes for me?"

"No," Emma told her.

"Why not, Em?"

"Because I don't want you to tell me."

Tell you what, sweetie?" Mary Margaret asked, not really sure what that little brain of Emma's was thinking.

"Tell me that I have to leave," Emma said as she pulled her hands away from her mommy and covered her eyes again.

Mary Margaret sighed when she realized what Emma was thinking. This poor little girl still thought she was going to get sent away.

"I'm sorry, little one, but you're stuck with me. You're not allowed to leave," Mary Margaret told her.

Emma slowly moved her hands away from her eyes and opened them to look up at her mommy. She had to see if she was telling the truth.

"But, I'm bad. I was really bad last night," Emma said as she shook her head.

"Emma you listen to me," Mary Margaret said as she lifted Emma up, so she was sitting instead of lying down. Mary Margaret made sure to look Emma right in the eyes. "You are not bad, Emma. You made some wrong choices last night, but that does not mean that you are a bad little girl, okay?"

"Okay," Emma said as she nodded her head. "So, you're really not going to send me back?"

"Emma, I am never going to send you back. Not ever, no matter what you do. I will always be here for you. I love you."

"I love you too," Emma said as she launched herself into her mommy's arms.

Mary Margaret held on tight to Emma, she didn't know what else she could do to convince this little girl that she was never going to be sent away again. Mary Margaret just knew she had to keep showing Emma over and over again that she would be here for her and that she loved her, no matter how many times it took for that to sink in.

"We do need to talk about what happened last night though Em," Mary Margaret said as pulled the little girl back and looked into her bright green eyes.

"Okay," Emma said as she looked down.

"Can you tell me what happened last night? Why were you so upset?"

Emma thought about it for a minute. She knew exactly why she was upset. Her daddy was stuck in that hospital. He was asleep and might never wake up, but she couldn't tell her mommy that.

"I just didn't want that man to be all alone," Emma told her. "Hospitals are scary."

"Emma, he isn't alone. All of the doctors and nurses are there and they take really good care of him."

"Yeah, I guess so," Emma said. She really didn't think doctors and nurses counted as company. They probably gave him shots and did all that other not fun stuff that doctors do.

"Emma, I understand that you were upset last night and that you felt bad for that patient, but you cannot act that way. You can't scream and kick and carry on like that, okay?"

"I know. I'm really sorry," Emma said as tears started to run down her cheeks. She felt really bad for what she did.

"It's okay, little one. I forgive you. You just have to remember to use you words when you're upset," Mary Margaret told her as she wiped Emma's tears away.

"Okay, I will," Emma promised.

"Okay, good," Mary Margaret said as she pulled Emma in for another hug. "What do you say we go get some breakfast?"

Mary Margaret wasn't going to be too hard on Emma for her behavior last night. This was the first time Emma had ever thrown a tantrum like that. Emma had already been through so much in her short little life. Mary Margaret expected these sort of things to happen a lot when she first took Emma in, they really didn't though. It was rare for Emma to even complain very much…well expect when she tried to get her to eat green vegetables, but that was typical for any child. Mary Margaret knew that right now, Emma needed to be shown love and support and that's exactly what she was going to do for her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 _Hi everybody! Sorry it's been awhile. I've been really busy lately. There might be bigger gaps in between chapters for awhile, so I want to apologize ahead of time for that. Anyways, I hope you are still enjoying the story! Don't forget that I love to hear from you! Enjoy :)_

"Can we please, please go see him?" Emma asked as they drove to school.

Mary Margaret sighed. Emma had been begging her all morning to go visit the coma patient. Mary Margaret didn't know if that was such a good idea, especially after the way Emma reacted when they had to leave last night. She did not want another scene like that one.

"I don't know, Em. We'll see," Mary Margaret told her.

Emma really really wanted to go see her daddy. She didn't want him to be alone. She wanted to spend time with him. She wanted to read him the stories from her book, even though she knew it probably wouldn't work. She still wanted to try. She really wanted her mommy to let her go.

"Please," Emma begged once more. "I promise I'll be good this time."

Mary Margaret looked back in her rearview mirror at Emma's bright green eyes and her sad little face. For some reason, one that Mary Margaret could not figure out, this little girl really wanted to go see that man. The look on Emma's face just melted Mary Margaret's heart. She didn't think she could tell her no.

"Okay, Emma. As long as you have a good day at school, we can go visit him on our way home," Mary Margaret told her.

"Thank you, thank you! I promise I will be a very good girl," Emma told her mommy. A big smile spread across her face. She was so excited that she was allowed to go see her daddy.

Emma made sure to be on her very best behavior at school today. She listened to everything Miss Andrews said. She completed all of her work and did not push anybody. She did not want to give her mommy any reason to not let her go to the hospital. She had to see her daddy, she just had to.

"Mary Margaret, Mary Margaret. Guess what, guess what?" Emma said as she ran into her mommy's fourth grade classroom at the end of the day.

"What, what, Emma?" Mary Margaret asked with a smile as she picked the very excited little girl up in her arms.

"I was a very good girl today. I listened to my teacher and I didn't have to miss my recess or anything," Emma told her.

"Well, I am very glad to hear that," Mary Margaret said with a laugh. She knew Emma would have no problem behaving herself. Besides that one not so good day, Emma never had any trouble at school.

"You know what that means," Emma said with a smile as she raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, I know what that means."

"I get to go see my…the man at the hospital," Emma said, catching herself before she called him her daddy. She could not do that. "What's his name anyway?" she asked. She knew her mommy's name here was Mary Margaret, but she didn't know what her daddy's was.

"I don't know his real name, Em. He's just called John Doe," Mary Margaret told her.

"John Doe? Why? That's a funny name."

"I don't know," Mary Margaret said with a shrug of her shoulders. "That's just what you call someone when you don't know who they are."

"Oh, okay. Can we go see John Doe now?" Emma asked as she bounced up and down in her mommy's arms.

"In a minute, little one. We have to have a little talk before we go," Mary Margaret said as she sat Emma down in the chair beside her desk. Mary Margaret sat down in front of Emma.

"What do you want to talk about?" Emma asked curiously.

"Well, first of all, we can't stay too long. We still have to go home to do your homework, have dinner, and you have to get a bath tonight."

"Okay," Emma said. She really wanted to stay with her daddy for a really long time, but she knew that she couldn't.

"So, when I tell you it's time to leave, that means it's time to leave, okay?"

"Okay," Emma said as she nodded her head.

"What happened last night cannot happen again tonight, Emma," Mary Margaret told her seriously. She wanted Emma to know that type of behavior was not acceptable.

"I know, I won't do it again," Emma told her.

"Okay, because if it does, I don't know if we'll be able to go visit him anymore," she told the little one sitting in front of her.

"I'll be good. I promise. I'll leave when you say," Emma told her very seriously. She did not want to get in trouble and not be allowed to visit her daddy anymore.

"That's my girl," Mary Margaret told her with a smile. "Are you ready to go?" she asked as she held out her hand.

Emma smiled and grabbed her mommy's hand. She jumped down from her chair and they made their way over to the hospital.

Before entering John Doe's room, Mary Margaret checked with one of the nurses to make sure it was alright for them to be in there. She realized she probably should have done that before promising Emma they could come. Luckily the nurse didn't have a problem with it, so Emma and Mary Margaret went in to give the coma patient some company.

"What are you doing, Em?" Mary Margaret asked when she saw Emma unzipping her backpack.

"I'm getting this," Emma said as she pulled her storybook out of her backpack and held it up to show her mommy with a smile.

"Oh, so we're reading John Doe some fairytales are we?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Mhmm," Emma said with a nod of her head.

"When did you sneak this into your backpack?" she asked with a raise of her eyebrows. When they had finished reading their story this morning, Mary Margaret distinctly remembered putting the book back on the bookshelf.

"While you were in the bathroom before we left," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Oh, I see. Do you think he's going to like our stories?" she asked as she picked Emma up and placed her on her lap.

"Yes, he will love them," Emma told her with a smile.

"Well, alright. Which one are we reading tonight?"

"This one," Emma said when she turned to the story about Snow White robbing Prince Charming's carriage.

"Oh, Snow White again. I should have guessed," Mary Margaret said as she tickled Emma's side.

"No tickling…just read the stories," Emma said in between her giggles.

"Okay, okay," Mary Margaret said as she started into the tale she had read many times before. "The prince heard the screams coming from his princess, who waited in the carriage. He ran back quickly and saw the thief riding off on horseback. He jumped onto a horse of his own and rode after the thief. He caught up to the bandit and tackled him to the ground, only to find our that it wasn't a 'him'. The bandit was a girl. 'Woman' the thief corrected him right before she hit him in the face with a rock. The thief was the bandit Snow White. She hopped back onto her horse and escaped with her jewels she had successfully stolen. 'Wherever you are I will find you,' the prince called to the thief as she rode away."

As Emma listened to her mommy read, she watched. She watched her daddy. She sat straight up and she watched for any sign of movement. Any sign that he could hear her mommy reading to him. Nothing happened yet, but Emma wasn't going to give up. After awhile though, she decided to just lean back and listen to her mommy read. She loved hearing these stories no matter how many times she'd heard them before. She did glance up at her daddy every few minutes just to check.

"Snow White walked through the forest, not expecting the trap the prince had set for her…" Mary Margaret continued to read. "'Well, aren't you a real Prince Charming,' Snow told the prince as he stood below her with a satisfied look on his face. He was determined to get his jewels back…"

Mary Margaret read through a lot of the story before she looked down at Emma, who had just yawned and was rubbing her sleepy little eyes. She could not let Emma fall asleep now or she would never sleep tonight. Mary Margaret learned that lesson the hard way.

One night after dinner, Emma fell asleep while watching TV. Mary Margaret didn't want to wake her. She just figured Emma was tired and needed her sleep. Well, her sleep lasted about two and a half hours, causing her to wake up full of energy at 8:00 at night. Usually, Emma went to bed at 8:30, but not that night. Emma kept Mary Margaret up until way past midnight before she finally fell asleep while they read the storybook. Luckily, it was a Friday night, so there was no school the next day, and they had the rest of the weekend to get Emma back on her normal sleep schedule. Mary Margaret learned her lesson though, no more evening naps for Emma.

"Hey, you're not falling asleep on me are you, little one?" Mary Margaret asked as she closed the book and lifted Emma up a little.

"No," Emma said as she shook her head. "Can you keep reading?"

"I think we've read enough for one day, Em," Mary Margaret told her.

"Okay," Emma groaned. She thought about asking again, but then she remembered what she promised her mommy earlier…that she wouldn't cause trouble when it was time to leave.

"Here, how about you put this back in your backpack for me," Mary Margaret said as she handed Emma the book.

Mary Margaret turned towards the coma patient while Emma went to put the storybook away. She had never really gotten a good look at him before. She had seen him all the time when she was a volunteer here, but she never realized how familiar he looked until now. She felt like she knew him from somewhere. She looked harder and realized where she had seen him before. He was the man from her dream. The one where she was Snow White. He was the prince. The one she had given her baby to. The one who had taken their daughter, the daughter that existed in her dream, away to the wardrobe to escape the curse. He was her husband. Mary Margaret shook her head. He wasn't _really_ her husband…just in that silly dream she had. She figured that her subconscious must have put his face to the man from her dreams because of how often she's seen him at the hospital. As Mary Margaret walked towards the door, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than that though.

"Emma, come on we have to go," Mary Margaret said with a sigh as she watched Emma run back towards the coma patient. She worried for a second that Emma might give her a hard time again.

"I just wanna say bye to him," Emma promised.

"Alright," Mary Margaret said with a nod of her head.

Emma walked over to the side of the bed. She leaned down real close to him. "Goodbye Daddy, I'll see you soon, I promise," she whispered really quietly so her mommy wouldn't hear.

"All set?" Mary Margaret said as Emma ran back over to her.

Emma nodded her head, and they left for home.

"Can we go back tomorrow and read to him some more?" Emma asked as she finished the last of her dinner.

"I guess so, Em," Mary Margaret said. She really didn't see the harm in giving the man some company. "Why do you want to keep reading him stories anyway?" she asked Emma curiously.

"Because we're gonna wake him up," Emma said matter-of-factly as she looked up at her mommy.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 _Hi everyone! I know I said it might be awhile, but I got so many reviews that I just had to get the next chapter written for you! I worked really hard to get it done for you and I hope you like it! Thanks again for all of the reviews, they make my day! Enjoy :)_

Mary Margaret sighed. "Oh, Emma…I don't think that will…"

"What?" Emma asked as she looked up at her mommy.

Mary Margaret didn't know what to say. She looked into those bright green eyes staring up at her…they were so innocent and full of hope. How could she tell her that reading those stories to John Doe wouldn't wake him? He'd been in that coma for as long as Mary Margaret could remember. He was seriously injured and reading him stories wasn't going to make a difference. How could she tell Emma that though? Mary Margaret could tell by the look on Emma's little face that she really hoped and believed that she could wake him and Mary Margaret didn't have the heart to take that hope away from her.

"Nothing sweetie…I think we should maybe give you a bath before we start your homework though. You are a mess," Mary Margaret said with a laugh when she noticed the spaghetti sauce that covered Emma's face.

"I am?" Emma asked with a giggle. She didn't notice the mess she had made. She was too busy enjoying her yummy spaghetti and meatballs.

"Yes you are," Mary Margaret said as she picked Emma up and carried her to the bathroom.

"I wanna see! I wanna see!" Emma said excitedly.

"Okay, okay. Look," Mary Margaret said as she stood Emma on the counter in the bathroom, so she could get a good look in the mirror.

"Woah, I am a very messy little girl," Emma laughed as she looked in the mirror at herself.

"I'll say. Did you even get any spaghetti in your tummy, you little sauce monster?" Mary Margaret asked as she tickled Emma's belly.

"Yes…yes…I did…I did," Emma said in between her giggles.

"Well good. Let's get you in the tub then missy."

Emma watched as her mommy filled the tub up. She loved bath time, especially when she got to take a bubble bath. Emma realized she hadn't actually had a bubble bath in a while.

"Can we put my bubbles in tonight?" Emma asked as she went to the cupboard to get her bottle of pink bubbles.

"Of course we can," Mary Margaret said with a smile.

"Mmmm, they smell so good," Emma said as she took off the cap and sniffed her strawberry scented bubbles. "Here, you smell!" she said as she held up the bottle to her mommy.

"Oh they smell delicious!" Mary Margaret said as she smelled them.

"Can I pour them in?" Emma asked.

Mary Margaret thought for a minute. The last time Emma poured the bubbles in, she nearly emptied the entire bottle. The bubbles practically spilled over the top of the bathtub, but Emma couldn't learn if she didn't get a chance to try.

"Yes, you can, just remember what I told you last time…really slow and only a little bit."

"Okay," Emma said as she nodded her head. She held onto the bottle tightly with both hands. She tilted the bottle just a little bit and watched some of the liquid plop onto the water. Emma quickly titled the bottle back up. "Was that good?" Emma asked as she looked up at her mommy for approval.

"That was perfect," Mary Margaret said as she gave Emma a high-five.

Emma got herself undressed and let her mommy help her into the tub. Emma played with the bubbles and some of her bath toys for a little bit before her mommy started washing her hair. Emma could wash her body herself, but her hair was a little tricky. She always had to wash her own hair at her other foster homes and she always got soap in her eyes, which really hurt. Now, her mommy washed her hair for her and she liked that. Once Emma was all clean, she got out of the tub. She loved it when her mommy wrapped her up in the big bath towel. Mary Margaret always snuggled her close until she was nice and warm. Once Emma was dressed, her mommy brushed her hair. She didn't pull her hair at all, she was very gentle and it felt nice. Then, Emma brushed her teeth and went out to the table to do her homework.

Emma brought her book bag over to the table and gave it to her mommy. Emma loved it when she got to show her mommy all of the stuff in her folder from the day. She always had lots of pretty pictures to bring home. Anytime she had a free moment, Emma was into her crayons and was drawing a picture. She loved making pictures for her mommy. She especially loved it when she hung the pictures on the fridge.

"Okay, Miss Emma, what do you have for homework tonight?" Mary Margaret asked. She already knew. Emma's homework was pretty much the same every night. She had some sort of small story to read and a paper to practice writing the letter of the week. Every once in a while there would be some math for her to do as well.

"I have to read this story," Emma said as she held up a little book with a picture of a bright colored bird on the front. "It's about this parrot who lost his mommy in the jungle. I already read it two times at school, but I'll read it again to you. You'll like it!"

Mary Margaret tried to hold back a laugh. Emma said all of this very seriously. She was always very serious when it came to doing her homework. She often came home already having read her story that was meant for homework. It was typical for Emma to give Mary Margaret a full synopsis on the story before reading it.

"Then I have to do my "S" paper," Emma said as she held up her handwriting paper that contained their letter of the week. All Emma had to do was write one line of the letter S. This was her last night of homework for the week, so she had to fill in the last line on the paper and then come up with three words that started with that letter. She didn't have any homework over the weekend.

"Okay, let's get started then. No math tonight?"

"Nope," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders as she started in on her handwriting paper.

Emma finished her paper and chose Snow White, Sneezy, and storybook to write for her words this week. Mary Margaret should have guessed that Emma would pick words that had to do with her favorite book. She did that very often actually, she absolutely loved that book of hers. Emma read her little story about the parrot and put all of her stuff away. Mary Margaret let Emma stay up for a little while and watch some TV before putting her to bed. Mary Margaret spent the next hour or so grading papers before going to sleep herself.

 _She rolled her eyes when she heard the princess in the carriage complaining. "What a nag_ ," _she thought to herself as she clung to the tree above. Her plan was working. The tree was blocking the road and their carriage was stopped. Now was her chance. She had to get those jewels. She hopped down from the tree and landed on top of the carriage. She jumped down and reached in to take the satchel that held her ticket to freedom. The princess screamed in her ear just before she made her escape. She climbed onto one of the horses and road off. She could hear someone following her. It was the prince, she knew it. He was getting closer. She nudged the horse to get him to move faster, but the prince was catching up to her…he was practically right beside her. The next thing she knew, he was jumping at her and tackling her off of the horse. She nearly got the wind knocked out of her from her fall, but she kept her composure. She smiled as the prince pulled back her hood, she knew he would be in for a surprise. "You're a…girl," the prince said in disbelief. "Woman," she corrected as she reached for a rock and hit him over the head. She quickly picked up the jewels and rode off again on her horse. "Wherever you are I will find you," she heard the prince exclaim. All she did was smile. He would never find her._

 _She had just successfully sold the jewels and had the gold she needed to get out of the kingdom. Nothing could stop her now…or so she thought. All of a sudden she felt herself being hoisted into the air. She moved around, trying to figure out what had just happened. She looked down. She was stuck in a net, and was hanging above the ground. She groaned in frustration. This could not be happening. She heard laughter coming from below. She looked down. It was him…the prince. "I told you I'd find you. No matter what you do, I will always find you," he told her smugly._

 _The prince "Charming" as she decided to call him, would only let her down if she returned the jewels she stole from him. She tried to play it off like she didn't have them—saying she wasn't the jewelry type. Then she told him, the truth…that she'd sold them. After some arguing back and forth, she still refused to get his jewels back for him. She wasn't going to give this "Charming" price what he wanted. He had a palace full of jewels anyway. It wasn't until he held up a piece of paper that she changed her mind. It was the wanted poster. The one with her face plastered on it. Her evil stepmother had them made up and spread throughout the kingdom. They infuriated her. The claims on the posters weren't true. They were all lies. That didn't matter now though, he knew who she was and he was threatening to turn her over to that evil witch. She couldn't have that, so she agreed to help. She watched as he pulled out his sword. "Surely he's not going to just cut the rope and let me fall"_ , _she thought. That's exactly what he was going to do. She let out a scream as she fell towards the ground._

Mary Margaret sat up with a start.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked her mommy when she heard her scream.

Mary Margaret looked down at Emma in confusion. "Wh-what are you doing in here?" she asked as she shook her head. She remembered putting Emma in her own bed last night.

"I had a bad dream last night and I came to sleep with you," Emma said as she looked down.

"Are you okay?" Mary Margaret asked as she lifted Emma's little chin.

"Mhmm," Emma said as she nodded her head.

"Come here," Mary Margaret said as she pulled Emma onto her lap. "Want to talk about your dream?"

"No," Emma said as she shook her head. "I don't really remember it anymore."

"Are you sure?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Uh huh…what was your bad dream about?" Emma asked as she looked up at her mommy.

"Why do you think I had a bad dream?" Mary Margaret asked with a laugh.

"Because you screamed and sat up really fast," Emma told her.

"I did?" Mary Margaret asked. She remembered screaming in her dream, but she didn't realize she had done it out loud.

"Yeah, what did you dream about?"

"Oh it was silly. I was dreaming about Snow White and Prince Charming. I think I've been reading those stories of yours too much," Mary Margaret said as she wrapped her arms around Emma and gave her a hug.

"Which part did you dream about? Why did you scream?" Emma asked curiously as she looked up at her mommy.

"Well, I was Snow White, and Prince Charming had me trapped in a net. He cut me down, and I fell to the ground. I must have screamed on my way down. I woke up right after that," Mary Margaret told Emma.

" _You_ were Snow White?" Emma asked, her eyes wide in amazement.

"Yeah, it's silly isn't it?" Mary Margaret said. "How about we lay down and go back to sleep. We don't have to get up for school for a little while." Mary Margaret didn't want to think about her dream anymore, but she couldn't help it. That's all she could think about as she tried to go back to sleep. It felt so real…just like the last one. She wasn't just dreaming about the story…she was in it. She was Snow White again and it all felt so familiar.

Emma just laid back down and snuggled up next to her mommy. As she closed her eyes, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Her mommy was starting to have dreams about being Snow White. Maybe reading the stories was finally starting to work after all! Maybe her mommy would start to remember soon!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 _Hey everybody! Thank you so much for all of the reviews on the last chapter, you're awesome! I really hope you like this chapter! Enjoy :)_

 _P.S. Happy Once Day! :) :)_

Everyday after school, Mary Margaret took Emma to visit John Doe. This had been going on for a few weeks now. It was part of their routine. Mary Margaret packed Emma and herself a little after school snack, and they went to the hospital for story time. Emma was so excited…for a few reasons. She couldn't wait to see her daddy everyday after school. She couldn't wait to read him more stories either because it was working. Reading the stories was working for her mommy. She was having dreams where she was Snow White. She was remembering…maybe only in her dreams for now, but it was still working. Emma believed that it would work for her daddy too.

"Let's read this one today," Mary Margaret said as she held Emma on her lap and opened up the book.

"No…not that one," Emma said with a groan as she saw the page turned to the story about the Mad Hatter. This was not the story Emma wanted to read.

"Come on, Em. You picked the story last night. Can't it be my turn," Mary Margaret asked Emma. She hoped Emma wouldn't oppose too much because if she did Mary Margaret would give in…it was hard to say no to that cute little face.

"But, you picked this morning too," Emma complained. Why did her mommy all of a sudden want to pick the stories? Emma always got to choose.

"Please, little one?" Mary Margaret asked as she stuck her lip out at her.

"Fine," Emma sighed. This morning her mommy wanted to read Hansel and Gretel and now she wanted the Mad Hatter story. Emma needed them to keep reading the stories about Snow White and Prince Charming, so her mommy and daddy would remember. Emma would just make sure she got to pick the stories tomorrow.

"Great!" Mary Margaret said as she started in on the story. She was thankful that Emma didn't put up a fight.

Mary Margaret was trying to avoid the Snow White stories. She thought that if they took a break from Snow White, then maybe she would stop having those dreams. She'd been having them almost every night now. The dreams themselves varied from night to night, but one thing never changed—she was always Snow White. They didn't even really feel like dreams at all actually, more like memories. The whole thing was just really strange. Even throughout the day now she would have parts of her dreams come back into her head. It was as if she was thinking back on a memory instead of just a dream. She just hoped that if she gave her brain a break from Snow White for the day that she might not have any dreams tonight.

Emma kept a close eye on her daddy while her mommy read, even though this story probably wasn't very familiar to him. She stilled hoped for the best. She thought maybe…just maybe he would still wake up or at least move his hand or something.

Emma felt sad when her mommy told her that it was time to go. There was no change in her daddy. He didn't even move at all. He just laid there sleeping…just like he always does. Emma tried not to feel too bad. She knew it might take a little while. Her mommy had to read the stories lots of times before she started having those dreams. Emma just told herself that she would have to be patient. It was helping her mommy remember, and she just knew it would help her daddy too.

Mary Margaret noticed that Emma seemed sad to leave John Doe. If Mary Margaret was being completely honest with herself, she was feeling a little sad to leave him too. She seemed to be just as excited as Emma to see him everyday. She didn't understand why she felt that way though. She didn't even know the man…although he was with her just about every night in her dreams. Mary Margaret thought a trip to Granny's would cheer Emma up some and herself too. She had a long week at school, and she didn't have the energy to make dinner tonight anyways.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked when she noticed that they drove past the building where they lived.

"Well, I was thinking we could have dinner at Granny's," Mary Margaret told Emma.

"Really?" Emma asked with a smile on her face. It had been awhile since they had actually eaten dinner there. They stopped in all of the time for hot chocolate though.

"Well I mean we don't have too," Mary Margaret teased. "We could just go home and eat if you want," she said with a shrug of her shoulders as she looked back at Emma in the rearview mirror.

"No! No! I want to go!" Emma said as she practically jumped up and down in her carseat.

"I figured you would," Mary Margaret said with a laugh.

Mary Margaret and Emma walked into the diner and were greeted by their favorite waitress who took them to their booth.

"We need two hot chocolates, Ruby," Emma said as she held up two fingers.

"I thought maybe you would," Ruby said with a grin.

"Can we have two waters too please," Mary Margaret said. She knew Emma's hot chocolate wouldn't last very long, and she would need something to drink with her dinner.

"Should I just put your food order in too? The usually I presume?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, thank you Ruby," Mary Margaret said with a smile.

"How does she always know what we like to eat?" Emma asked.

"I think it's because we always order the same thing," Mary Margaret told her with a wink.

"Oh…yeah," Emma said with a giggle.

"Emma, you have to eat one more carrot if you want that ice cream," Mary Margaret repeated for a second time. Emma asked if she could get an ice cream sundae before her grilled cheese even came. Mary Margaret told her how much she had to eat before she was allowed to get one. All she had to do was eat one more carrot and the ice cream sundae was hers.

"Okay," Emma sighed as she picked up the carrot and took a bite. She didn't really want to eat the carrot, but she really really wanted her ice cream sundae. She wasn't allowed to get one last time because she wouldn't eat her broccoli. Broccoli was gross…green vegetables were gross and Emma was not going to eat it. She really thought her mommy would still let her get the ice cream though, but she didn't, so Emma knew she meant business this time.

Emma finally finished her carrot and Mary Margaret let her order her ice cream sundae. She liked it with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce with cool whip, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry. Ruby always gave Emma a pretty small portion for which Mary Margaret was thankful. Emma plus too much sugar wasn't always a good thing when it came to putting her to bed at night. Emma didn't notice, she was just so excited that she got to eat some ice cream.

"Alright, little one. Time for bed," Mary Margaret told Emma as she stood up from the couch. She let Emma stay up for a little bit and watch TV when they got home before going to bed.

"Okay," Emma said with a yawn as she reached her arms up. She was really sleepy and she didn't feel like walking. She liked it when her mommy carried her.

Mary Margaret smiled as she lifted Emma into her arms and carried her upstairs. She made sure Emma brushed her teeth and used the bathroom before getting her settled into bed. Oh and her drink of water…for some reason Emma always had to have a drink of water before bed. She liked to use it as an excuse to put off bedtime sometimes, so Mary Margaret learned to give her a drink before she put her to bed.

"Okay, I think you're all set," Mary Margaret said as she tucked the covers all around Emma. "Do you have your blankey under there?" she asked. Emma always had her blanket hidden under her covers, but she just wanted to make sure.

"Yeah it's there," Emma said with a small smile as she reached under and held on tight to it.

"Good. Sleep tight little one," Mary Margaret said as she gave Emma a kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight," Emma said with a yawn as her eyes drooped shut.

Mary Margaret went downstairs to shower and get herself ready for bed. She couldn't wait to finally lay in her warm bed and get some much needed sleep. She has been feeling tired all week for some reason. She was also eager to see if the dreams would stop since she hadn't read any Snow White today.

 _She was going to the stables to meet her…her stepmother The Evil Queen, who had Charming prisoner in her castle. She couldn't let Regina hurt him, so she agreed to meet with her. Her stepmother wanted to have a little talk, just the two of them. Regina told her to come unarmed, so she did. As she walked into the stables she saw her standing there…waiting. "Hello Regina," she said as she held up her hands to show she meant no harm and came unarmed like she promised. Regina led her outside and stopped her in front of a grave. Regina revealed that it was Daniel's grave. "Daniel? But I thought…" she thought Daniel ran away. At least that's what Regina told her long ago. She learned that Regina blamed her for Daniel's death because of the secret that she had promised to keep, but didn't. She was sorry. She never meant for Daniel to get hurt. She felt a surge of guilt run through her body, but then it quickly went away. Regina took her father away from her. Not to mention the countless lives she's taken since this feud between them began. They both have suffered…wasn't it enough? Unfortunately, Regina didn't feel that way. She watched as the Evil Queen pulled a bright red apple out of her satchel. Regina told her what the apple would do and that it had to be eaten willingly. "And why would I do that?" she asked her stepmother, who then proceeded to threaten Charming's life. Her prince…her true love. If she didn't eat this apple, then he would be killed…gone forever. She had no choice she had to do it. She reached out and took the poisoned fruit. She slowly brought it towards her mouth and took a bite. For a split second it felt like nothing was going to happen, but then it hit her. She couldn't breath. She opened her mouth to try, but there was nothing. She was feeling faint, then everything went black._

Mary Margaret sat up in her bed. She held onto her throat as she breathed in the fresh air that she couldn't seem to get in her dream. Her lungs filled up with oxygen again, and she began to calm down. There went her plan about not reading the stories about Snow White. Apparently she was going to have these dreams regardless. She laid back down once she had calmed herself down a bit. She thought back on her latest adventure as Snow White. She didn't know why she was dreaming about the princess from Emma's favorite stories. She didn't know why these dreams felt so real to her. Her baby being taken away from her, the curse coming, robbing Prince Charming of his jewels, and now this. She ate the poisoned apple the Evil Queen had given her. She had to. She so desperately wanted to save her prince. He was her true love. She would do anything for him. She loved him with all of her heart. That's what Snow White felt in her dreams, but Mary Margaret felt the same thing when she looked at the coma patient. For some reason it was his face that matched the Prince Charming from her dreams. She felt like she would do anything for him. She felt this need somewhere deep inside that she needed to be with him. She looked forward to seeing him everyday and was saddened when she had to leave. Where these feelings came from Mary Margaret didn't know. Mary Margaret felt the same way when she looked into Emma's sweet little eyes. She had this overwhelming feeling of love for this little girl every time she saw her. The love she, or rather Snow White, felt for her baby girl that she had to give away was just as strong as what she felt for Emma. She could feel it every time she had that dream about Snow White giving her baby away…the love for that child. Mary Margaret could feel that same love when she thought about Emma. Mary Margaret's feelings towards the coma patient and Emma were just as real as Snow White's feelings for her Prince Charming and baby girl she had to give away. Mary Margaret's head was swirling with thoughts. She looked at the clock, she had slept for several hours, but why was she so tired? She was always so tired lately. This was all just so much. These memories…no dreams she was having consumed her thoughts, and she didn't know what to do about them or how to make them stop. Maybe part of her didn't want them to stop. Maybe these dreams meant something. Mary Margaret decided that she had to figure out what the dreams meant and she had to do it now.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 _Hey everyone! Here is the next part of the story. I am so thankful for all of the reviews! I really do try to take in what you have to say! I really think you are going to like this chapter :) Enjoy!_

Mary Margaret quickly got out of bed. She rushed over to where they kept Emma's favorite storybook. Mary Margaret took the book and went to sit on the couch. She held it in her hands and just looked at it. What was it about this book that got to her so much? She had read hundreds of books before, but she never had such intense dreams like the ones she had about the stories in this particular book. Why were these stories doing this to her? Yes, they read the stories from this book every single day, so that could account for why she's had such vivid dreams about them, but Mary Margaret knew there was something more to it. These weren't just any normal dreams.

Hoping to get some answers, Mary Margaret decided she was going to reread all of the stories about Snow White. Yes, she's read them many many times to Emma, but never just to herself. She wanted to really study the words and the pictures to see if she could make sense of everything that was happening to her. Maybe this wouldn't give her any answers at all and maybe this would cause her dreams to worsen, but she had to do it. Something deep inside of her was telling her that she needed to do this. Mary Margaret took a deep breath before opening the book and immersing herself into the tales once more.

Mary Margaret read and read. She took in every detail and closely examined every picture. As she read, she could feel herself in the stories…she was actually in them and she wasn't just dreaming this time. She could feel the rock in her hand as Snow White hit Prince Charming over the head in order to escape with his jewels. She looked at the picture and ran her finger down the scar that was prominent on his face. She could have sworn the coma patient at the hospital had the exact same one…but that couldn't be, could it? Mary Margaret continued on and felt this deep longing for the prince after Snow White helped him get his jewels back and they parted ways. She didn't want them to leave each other. She wanted Snow White to be with him…she wanted to be with him. Mary Margaret knew they ended up together later on, but right now it was as if she was having the same feelings as Snow White would be having at this point in the story. It was so strange. Mary Margaret shook her head at that thought and continued to read. As she did, she continued to have these intense feelings as if she were Snow White. These feelings were becoming even more intense than her dreams. She could actually taste the apple her evil stepmother gave to her as she bit into it to save her true love. Mary Margaret brought her fingers to her lips as she felt the touch of her true love's kiss waking her from that awful sleep. She could feel the ring as he placed it on her finger after asking her to marry him…Mary Margaret instinctively twisted the ring that she wore on her middle finger as if it were that same ring. She could feel his hands in hers as she looked at the picture of Snow White and Prince Charming getting married. As she read on, she could feel the joy when Snow White found out she was pregnant and then the pain of losing her baby so quickly. Mary Margaret turned to final page and looked at the picture of Snow White's baby as Price Charming placed her into the wardrobe, and she noticed something that she had forgotten.

"Emma," Mary Margaret said aloud as she looked at the name on the blanket. This was something she had noticed several weeks ago, but had forgotten. Snow White's baby…her name was Emma. The little girl sleeping upstairs…her name was Emma. The love Snow White felt for her baby Emma was the same Mary Margaret felt for the foster child she had taken in months ago. These memories…these feelings Snow White had, Mary Margaret had them too. There had to be a connection. One crazy idea popped into Mary Margaret's head…an idea that came to her often. Maybe Snow White wasn't just a fairytale, maybe she was real. Mary Margaret thought maybe she was…

Mary Margaret's thoughts were interrupted by the cries of her sweet little Emma sleeping upstairs. She quickly closed the book, putting aside any connections she was making between the stories and her dreams, and went to check on her little one.

 _Emma opened her eyes and looked all around her. She wondered how she got here. Why was she standing in the middle of Main Street? Emma knew she shouldn't be standing in the road, so she quickly ran over to the sidewalk. Where was her mommy? Emma didn't know why she was outside all by herself. She slowly started walking…she was pretty sure she was walking towards home, at least she hoped she was. Emma kept on walking and let out a sigh of relief when she finally saw her mommy up ahead._

 _"_ _There you are mommy," Emma said as she ran up to her. She quickly covered her hands with her mouth. She didn't mean to call her mommy out loud. Emma looked up and saw the questioning look her mommy gave her. Emma knew she blew it…she shouldn't have said that._

 _"_ _Who are you?"_

 _Emma felt like she was going to cry. Why didn't Mary Margaret know her anymore? "I..I'm Emma, remember?" Emma said as she looked up at her._

 _"_ _I don't know you," Mary Margaret said, her voice almost cold…definitely not the friendly welcoming tone she usually had._

 _Emma flinched at the sound of her mommy's voice. She sounded so mean. What was going on?_

 _"_ _Yes you do know me, you do!" Emma exclaimed as she tugged on her mommy's hand._

 _"_ _No, I don't think I do," Mary Margaret said as she pulled her hand out of Emma's grasp._

 _"_ _Who's this?" asked a man who walked up beside Mary Margaret, his voice just as cold as hers._

 _"_ _Daddy?" Emma blurted out before she could stop herself. She knew she shouldn't be calling them mommy and daddy yet, but for some reason she couldn't help it. She looked up at him in amazement. He was here, he was awake, and he was talking! They woke him up, but how?_

 _"_ _Uh…who's the kid?" he asked Mary Margaret._

 _"_ _I don't know…she says her name is Emma. She doesn't know where her parents are."_

 _"_ _Yes, I do! They're right here! You're my parents!" Emma shouted, she was getting so upset. Why wouldn't they listen to her?_

 _"_ _Listen little girl, we called social services. They're here to take you," Mary Margaret told her._

 _"_ _No, I don't want them to come," Emma said in a panic. They couldn't take her away._

 _"_ _They're already here," Mary Margaret said as she pointed to the two people standing beside her._

 _Emma looked up and saw the social workers standing there. She didn't know how they got here so fast. When did her mommy even call them? What was going on?_

 _"_ _Hello Emma, that was very naughty of you to run away from you foster family like that. We're going to have to take you back there now," one of the social workers told her._

 _"_ _No! No! I can't go back. I found my mommy and daddy, see? They're right here. I can't leave them. They need my help! You can't take me…" Emma shouted._

 _Emma felt herself being picked up and carried away. This couldn't be happening. Her mommy was so close to remembering. Those dreams she was having…they were going to help her remember. Emma just needed a little more time._

 _"_ _Mommy! Daddy! Please, you have to remember. Don't let me go. Please remember! Please…." Emma continued to scream as she was being carried away._

"Emma, Emma. Wake up sweetie," Mary Margaret said as she gently tried to shake Emma awake. When she walked into the room Emma was thrashing around in the bed, mumbling something Mary Margaret couldn't quite make out. She had finally gotten Emma to lie still, but she couldn't seem to pull her from her nightmare.

Emma thought she could hear her mommy saying her name, but she wasn't sure. She slowly started to open her eyes to see if it was really her mommy. It was her, and she looked like she was nice again…not mean like before. But why was she here? She just sent her away with the social worker…didn't she? Emma was so confused. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Hey, Em. It's okay. You're safe now. I'm right here," Mary Margaret told her. She had no idea what Emma had been dreaming about, but she could tell that whatever it had been was still upsetting her.

"No, no," Emma said as she sat up quickly and shook her head. "You don't remember me. You don't remember."

"Emma, it was just a dream. Of course I remember you," Mary Margaret told her. Mary Margaret didn't like what that dream was doing to her. She could never forget Emma.

"But you don't…you don't," Emma said as she covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

Mary Margaret just scooped Emma up in her arms. She sat back against Emma's headboard and held her tight. She knew Emma was still partly stuck in her dream and just needed some time to realize she was awake now and that everything was alright. She just spoke soothing words and rubbed Emma's back until she became calm.

As Emma clung to her mommy she tried to wrap her head around everything. She realized now that it was all just a dream. She wasn't taken away by the social worker and sent back to the mean foster family. She was here with her mommy, and she was safe. Her mommy still didn't remember her though…not for real. She didn't know that she was Snow White. She didn't know that she was her real mommy. And her daddy was still sleeping, he wasn't awake like he was in the dream. Even if he didn't know her, Emma was still really excited to see him awake. She really really wanted to wake her daddy up. She wanted them both to remember her so much.

Mary Margaret loosened her hold on Emma once she had finally calmed down. She turned Emma, so she was facing her. She watched Emma slowly lift her head up. She saw the red around her eyes and the tear stains on her cheeks. It broke her heart to see Emma this upset.

"Emma, can we talk about your dream?" Mary Margaret asked.

Emma just shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it. She was too sad.

"Please? I think it will make you feel better," Mary Margaret tried.

"No, can I just go back to sleep now?" Emma asked as she looked down.

"If that's what you want. Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Emma said as she nodded her head.

"Okay," Mary Margaret sighed as she stood up with Emma still in her arms and turned to lay her back down in her bed. She knew Emma was still upset about the dream. She didn't want to push her too much though. Emma would talk about it when she was ready, but Mary Margaret couldn't let her go back to sleep when she was so sad. "How about a little story before you go back to sleep?"

"No, no more stories," Emma told her as she shook her head. She didn't feel like listening to those stories right now.

"Alright," Mary Margaret sighed. "Do you want me to stay here with you?"

"No, that's okay," Emma said as she looked up at her mommy. She just wanted to be alone right now.

"Okay, do you have everything you need? Do you have your blankey under there," she asked as she lifted the covers to make sure Emma had her little comfort item.

"Yeah it's here, see," Emma said with a small smile as she pulled her blankey out a little.

Mary Margaret was glad to see a little smile. She decided to keep going with it, hoping she could get Emma in a happier mood before she went back to sleep. "Let me see this thing. You know you've never let me hold it before," Mary Margaret said as she gently pulled the blanket out from it's hiding spot. She really had never gotten a good look at the blanket, Emma always kept it hidden.

"Oh, what a very pretty blanket this it," Mary Margaret exclaimed as she looked at it. The white yarn was so soft and the purple ribbon around the edges was the perfect little pop of color. The blanket even had Emma's name stitched on it. For a second, Mary Margaret felt like she had seen this blanket somewhere before.

Emma let out a small giggle as she watched her mommy look at her blankey.

Mary Margaret was happy to hear Emma's cute little laugh. "Do you think we should give your blankey a bath?" Mary Margaret asked with a grin. She knew what Emma's response would be,

"No, no," Emma said with another giggle as she reached out for her blankey. She knew her mommy was teasing her. Her mommy knew she didn't want her blankey to have a bath.

"Why not?" Mary Margaret asked as she pulled the blanket out of Emma's reach, pretending she didn't know why.

"Because then it won't smell the same," she said as she grinned up at her mommy. Her mommy knew that. Her blankey had a certain smell and it reminded her of her mommy and daddy and made her feel safe.

"Oh that's right," Mary Margaret said as she playfully rolled her eyes.

Mary Margaret looked back down at the blanket. She ran her finger along the ribbon and couldn't help the smile that came to her face. It really was a beautiful blanket. For some reason, she wasn't sure why, she slowly brought the blanket up to her nose and inhaled the scent Emma didn't want to lose. Mary Margaret understood why Emma didn't want to wash her blanket. The smell, it was so…well Mary Margaret wasn't sure how to explain it. It smelled so familiar. Like home. Not her home here though…another home, one where she had lived long ago. The smell brought her back to the stories from Emma's book…to those dreams she'd been having…to Snow White..to her Prince Charming…to her baby…Emma!

"Emma!" Mary Margaret gasped as she dropped the blanket from her hands and stared at the beautiful little girl in front of her.

Emma watched as her mommy looked at her. Something happened. She was looking at her differently than she ever had before. Something changed. One minute she was sniffing her blankey and the next minute she…well Emma didn't really know what. She was just different. There was a spark in her eye. It was as if a lightbulb had gone off in her head. Did…did she remember? Did she know that she was Snow White? Did all of her memories come back? Emma wasn't sure…she just had this feeling that she couldn't explain. There was only one way to find out…

"Mommy?" Emma asked quietly.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 _Sorry for the long wait! This chapter is a little longer than usual to make up for it! Once again, thank you for all of the reviews! You're awesome! I think this is the chapter you've all been waiting for! Enjoy :)_

"Emma!" Mary Margaret exclaimed again as she pulled her baby girl into her arms. She couldn't help the tears of joy that flowed from her eyes.

It was Emma, it was her baby. The baby she sent away to protect. She was here. She found her, just like Rumplestiltskin said she would. It was a lot earlier than he predicted, but here she was. She was holding her in her arms. Her baby girl…the one her husband took to the wardrobe. Her husband! Charming, her true love. He was in that hospital. He was in a coma. Mary Margaret tried to wrap her head around all of this as she held her baby girl tight in her arms. She was Mary Margaret, yes. She had all of those memories…she was a fourth grade teacher at Storybrooke Elementary, she visited Granny's diner on a regular basis and use to volunteer at the hospital until she took Emma in. She use to be alone until this sweet little girl came into her life. She wasn't alone now, and she wasn't just Mary Margaret. She was Snow White, and she remembered that now.

"Mommy, you remember?" Emma asked as looked up at her. She had to hear her mommy say it. She had to hear her say that she remembered who she was. Emma had to be sure she wasn't dreaming.

"I do, baby. I remember everything," Snow said as she smiled down at her little girl.

"I knew you would," Emma said as she wrapped her little arms around her mommy's neck and began to sob. She was happy that her mommy finally knew who she was. Emma had waited so long.

"Emma, it's okay. It's okay. Mommy's right here," Snow said as she rubbed soothing circles on her little girl's back, trying to calm her down.

She had to pause a few times to wipe tears from her own eyes. She just couldn't believe that she was finally holding her little girl in her arms. Emma was here. She was safe, but had already been through so much in her short little life. It broke her heart. She tried to wrap her head around what Emma must have been going through since she arrived in Storybrooke. Trying so hard to get her to remember, making her read those stories over and over again, keeping the secret about the cursed town all to herself. It was all so much for a little girl to take on. Snow felt so guilty for everything her baby had been through.

"Emma, I am so sorry," Snow said once Emma's cries had subsided a bit.

"Why are you sorry Momma?" Emma asked as she looked up at her mommy in confusion. It wasn't her mommy's fault…she was cursed. She couldn't help it.

"I should have done more. I should have protected you from all of this," Snow said as she wiped the tears from Emma's eyes.

"No, Mommy. It's okay. You remember now. Everything's okay," Emma said with a small smile.

"Oh, baby," Snow said as she pulled Emma close once more. How did she get so lucky to have such a sweet, loving little girl?

Emma just leaned into her mommy and enjoyed this time with her. Emma worked so hard to get her mommy to remember. All of those stories they read, the dreams her mommy had…they worked. Something finally clicked in her mommy's head, and she remembered who she was. Emma's wasn't sure how it happened, but she didn't care. All she cared about was that her mommy was here…her real mommy. Emma just snuggled into her mommy and felt at peace. Everything was going to be okay now. She just knew it. Emma felt herself about to fall asleep, then she quickly lifted her head up.

"Daddy! Mommy, we have to go find Daddy. Maybe he's awake too!" Emma said desperately.

"Charming," Snow said as she thought about her husband. She looked over at the clock. It was way too early for visitors at the hospital, but she didn't care. They were going to go find her husband.

"Let's go find him, Em," Snow said as she carried Emma downstairs.

Emma couldn't help, but smile as her mommy carried her down the stairs. Even if her daddy wasn't awake yet, her mommy remembered, and she could wake him up.

"Put your shoes on baby," Snow said as she set Emma down by the front door.

Snow put on her shoes and jacket. She helped Emma into her coat as well. "Alright let's go," Snow said in a hurry as she reached out her hand for Emma.

"Mommy," Emma said as she lifted her arms up. She didn't want to just hold her mommy's hand.

Snow smiled and scooped her baby girl up into her arms, and they made their way to the hospital. She would carry Emma for the rest of her life if it made up for missing out on all those years.

As they drove through town, Emma looked out the window and tried to figure out what exactly was happening. Was her mommy the only one who got her memories back? Did other people in the town remember too? Was the curse broken? She didn't know. It was still dark outside, so Emma knew most people were still sleeping, so she couldn't look for anyone to see if they remembered or not. There would be people awake at the hospital though, so she would definitely be able to see if the people there remembered. They would also be able to wake her daddy up, which was most important.

When her mommy parked the car, Emma quickly unbuckled herself from her carseat and reached out for her mommy when she opened the door.

"Mommy, do you remember where Daddy is?" Emma asked as her mommy walked frantically into the hospital. Emma didn't know if her mommy knew where his room was, she just wanted to make sure.

"I remember, Em," Snow told her with a wink as she made her way towards the elevator.

Emma clung to her mommy real tight when she saw Dr. Whale walking down the hallway by her daddy's room. Emma still didn't like him after he made the nurse give her that shot…it really hurt. She also wondered if he remembered who he really was.

"Mary Margaret? What are you doing here? Visiting hours don't start for awhile," Dr. Whale said.

"Oh, I know. Emma just forgot something when we were here last night, and she needs it," Snow told him, hoping he would believe her lie.

"Alright," Dr. Whale said with a nod of his head as he eyed her suspiciously before walking away.

Snow noticed the weird look he had given her. She knew she was here early, but it was something else. She looked down and realized that she was till in her pajamas. She sighed, she had been in such a hurry to see her husband she forgot to put some real clothes on her and Emma. That didn't matter know though, she had more important things to worry about.

"Momma, he doesn't remember," Emma whispered once Dr. Whale had gone.

"I know," Snow said with a sigh. She was hoping the curse had broken, and she hoped that if the curse was broken, Charming would be awake. She knew once she walked into the room though, he would be just as much in that coma as he had been for the last 5 years.

She walked into the room and set Emma down. There he was…her Charming. He was just as handsome as the day she met him. As she walked towards him, she couldn't help the smile that came to her face. Part of her felt like the curse was just cast yesterday, and she had only just said goodbye to him. She felt like she had just been holding him in her arms as the curse swirled around them. Then there were her memories as Mary Margaret, those made her feel like she hadn't seen him in so long. She had been sad and alone most of her life here in Storybrooke. It was as if something had been missing. Emma helped fill part of that void when she came into her life. Now the rest of it would be filled once she woke her husband from his sleep. Once he was awake, they could start their life together with Emma. The life they had always wanted. She wasn't 28 like Rumplestiltskin predicted. Yes, they had missed the first 5 years of her life…that was time they would always regret losing. She was still a little girl though. She needed her mommy and daddy, and they had so many wonderful years ahead of them to enjoy and cherish…and they would cherish every single moment they had together as a family.

Emma watched and waited, but her mommy was just standing there smiling at her daddy. She wasn't doing anything. Emma thought maybe she just forgot what she had to do and needed a little reminder. "Mommy, you have to kiss him," Emma whispered. They were true loves. They had to kiss to break the curse. It was the only way her daddy was going to wake up from his very long sleep.

"Right," Snow said as she shook her head. "Are you ready to meet your daddy, Em?" Snow asked with a smile.

"Yes, yes," Emma said as she jumped up and down with excitement.

Emma watched as her mommy leaned down close to her daddy. Emma usually thought kisses were so gross, but not this one. This one was going to make her daddy wake up, so she was definitely going to watch. Her mommy's lips got closer and closer. Emma was getting so excited she could hardly stand it. She wanted to yell at her mommy to "hurry up," but she didn't. Finally, their lips met and she waited. Emma waited for something to happen…her daddy to open his eyes, a bright light of true love to shine out like it did in the storybook…anything. Nothing happened though, not a single thing.

Snow kissed her husband a few more times, trying to wake him. This was true love's kiss. It was suppose to work, but it wasn't. This was suppose to wake her husband up…it was suppose to bring back her Charming. She needed her husband. Emma needed her Daddy. Snow did know what she was going to do…

"No, no!" Emma shouted.

Snow jumped at the sound of her daughter's voice. "Emma, it's okay," Snow told her calmly.

"No, no! He's suppose to wake up. It was suppose to work," Emma said as she pushed past her mommy and ran over to her daddy. "Daddy, wake up! Please, please wake up. Mommy's here. She remembers! Now it's your turn. Daddy please…."

"Emma, honey, calm down," Snow tried. Emma was practically shouting and she didn't want anyone else to hear. The whole town was still cursed, and she didn't know what would happen if people heard Emma shouting that the John Doe was her daddy.

"We need my storybook and my blankey," Emma said in a panic as she looked back at her mommy. "We…we have to go get them right now." Emma knew the stories worked for her mommy, and she remembered everything when she held her blankey. It was magic. It would work. It would wake up her daddy too. She just knew it.

"Emma, listen to me…"

"No! We have to go! We have to go right now," Emma said as she pushed passed her mommy again towards the door.

"Emma, stop," Snow said as she grabbed ahold of Emma's arm, preventing her from leaving the room.

"Mommy, let me go," Emma said as she tried to pull away.

"Emma, I need to talk to you first," Snow tried.

"No, no talking," Emma said as she shook her head and fell to the floor in frustration. She started to cry, she couldn't help it. She wanted her daddy to wake up so much. She need that book and her blankey. They would wake him up. She just knew it. Why wouldn't her mommy let her go?

Snow sighed as she let go of Emma's arm and watched her throw a little fit on the floor. She knew Emma was exhausted. She was up so early this morning and the sleep she did get last night was full of bad dreams. She couldn't imagine what was going on in her little girl's head…her mommy remembered, but her daddy still wasn't awake. She had been dealing with all of this for months. Emma was so close…she almost had her whole family back. Snow knew what her baby girl was feeling. This was all just too much for her little one to deal with…hence the tantrum. Snow just closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten, letting Emma get this out of her system. She then scooped Emma up in her arms and carried her over to the chair.

"Hey, little one. Look at me," Snow said as she pulled Emma back to look at her.

Emma just looked up at her mommy as she sniffled and wiped her tears from her eyes. She was calming down and was ready to listen to what her mommy wanted to tell her.

"There you are," Snow said with a smile as she pushed the hair out of Emma's face. "Now, I promise we will go home and get your storybook and your blanket. I just need to talk to you for a minute."

"Okay, Mommy," Emma said as she nodded her head.

"Okay…you remember that I'm the only one that has my memories back. Nobody else does, right?"

"Yes," Emma told her, she knew that.

"So, we still need to try to keep it a secret until we can figure out how to break the curse, okay," Snow told her.

"Oh yeah," Emma said as she looked down. She didn't think about that. She felt bad about yelling and crying. She didn't mean too. She was just so sad that her daddy didn't wake up when her mommy kissed him. She really hoped that no one heard her. What would they do if they heard her calling him her daddy?

"I'm sorry, Momma," Emma said as she leaned into her.

Snow wrapped her arms around Emma and hugged her tight. "It's okay Emma. I know you've been through a lot. We're going to get through this though. We will wake your daddy up, I promise."

Snow couldn't deny that she was worried. She didn't know why her kiss hadn't worked. She didn't know why he wasn't awake right now. She needed to have hope though and believe that they would wake him up. Emma needed to have that same hope too. Emma thought the storybook and her blanket would help. Snow wasn't too sure if it would work, but she didn't have any other ideas at the moment, so that's what they were going to do.

Snow took Emma home. Emma quickly got the storybook and her blanket. Snow decided to change out of her pajamas and put Emma in some real clothes as well. She also thought they should probably eat something. Snow had to practically force Emma to sit down and eat. Snow really didn't feel like eating anything either, but she knew Emma would be more inclined to eat if she did, so she made them both a plate of food. After they ate, she rushed around and packed them both some snacks for the rest of the day. Snow didn't know why she was even hurrying, it's not like Charming was going anywhere. She just didn't want to be away from him. She was also very thankful that it was the weekend, and she didn't have to worry about going to school to teach her fourth graders.

As soon as they got back to the hospital, Emma covered her daddy with her blankey. She climbed up onto her mommy's lap as she read the stories.

Snow wasn't really sure if the stories were helping. It was keeping Emma calm though and it gave her some time to think of another plan. A horrible thought did occur to her while she was reading…what if Rumplestiltskin's prediction _was_ correct? What if Emma wouldn't break the curse until she was 28 years old? What if Snow and Emma had to wait 23 more years for Charming to wake up? Getting her memories back could have just been a fluke…a little flaw in the curse. Snow just shook her head and pushed those thoughts away. She was going to wake up her husband, and she was going to do it soon.

Snow and Emma spent the rest of the day at the hospital. They read the stories and took a few breaks to eat some of the food Snow had packed. At one point they both fell asleep in the chair and took a nap for several hours before Emma frantically woke her mommy back up to read some more. Snow really didn't mind. She could have sat here all day just holding her baby girl on her lap.

"Emma, it's time to go home now," Snow said once she had looked at the clock and realized how late it was getting. She didn't want to leave, but they both needed to get a good night's sleep and visiting hours were almost over.

"Mommy, no," Emma whined.

"Emma, we'll come back first thing in the morning. I promise," Snow told her as she stood with Emma in her arms.

"Okay," Emma said as she dropped her head.

"Here's your blankey," Snow said as she took it off of Charming and gave it to Emma.

Emma took it and snuggled it close to her as she laid her head on her mommy's shoulder. "Wait," she said as she lifted her head quickly.

"What is it, Em?" Snow asked.

"I want Daddy to have it," she said as she wiggled down from her mommy's arms and ran over to where her daddy was sleeping.

Snow just smiled as she watched Emma climb up onto the bed. It was a big deal for Emma to go a whole night without her blanket. Snow really hoped she wouldn't have to make a trip back here in the middle of the night if Emma woke up and decided that wanted her blanket back. Snow would do it anyways though. She would do anything for her little girl.

Emma kneeled on the bed and carefully pulled back her daddy's covers. She laid her blankey on top of him and covered him back up with his other blankets.

"That's how I like to sleep with it," Emma whispered to him.

"That's very nice of you Emma," Snow said as she gave her little girl a kiss on the top of her head.

"I think it will make him feel safe," Emma told her mommy.

"Oh I know it will," Snow told her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Emma said with a sigh. She looked back at her daddy one more time. She leaned in close to him. "I love you daddy," Emma whispered before giving him a kiss.

A bright lighted shined through the room. Emma looked up at her mommy… she could tell by the look on her face that she saw it too. Emma looked back down at her daddy. He wasn't sleeping anymore he was awake! He was looking right at her!

"Charming!" Snow said as sat down on the bed next to him, picking Emma up and placing her on her lap.

"Daddy! You're awake!" Emma said with a smile and she practically jumped up and down in her mommy's lap. She was so excited, but why was he looking at them like that? Her daddy looked confused, like he wasn't sure who they were.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 _Here's the next chapter for you! I hope you like it! Enjoy :)_

"Snow?" David asked.

"Charming, it's me," Snow said as she grabbed ahold of his hand and smiled at him. He looked so confused, which was completely understandable. He'd been in a coma for so long, it would be normal for him to be unsure of what was going on around him. Snow was just glad he recognized her…she feared for a moment that he wouldn't have any of his memories.

Emma snuggled into her mommy and just listened. Her daddy knew who her mommy was, but when he looked over at her the confused look on his face came back. Why didn't her daddy know who she was? Didn't he remember her? Emma felt a little nervous…she didn't know why. This was her daddy. She wanted more than anything to jump into her daddy's arms and give him a big hug, but she didn't want to scare him if he didn't know who she was. She decided to just stay right here and let her mommy be the one to tell him that she was Emma.

David could see his wife sitting right here with him, she looked different, but it was Snow alright. He would know her anywhere. He wasn't sure what had happened though. Where was he? What was this place? He thought this must have been the place the curse had taken them. He tried to think back to the last thing he remembered. He remembered taking Emma and putting her into the wardrobe to protect her from the curse that was coming. He remembered fighting off the black knights before everything just went dark. Now he was here…in this place that was so unfamiliar to him. He wondered who this little girl was that was sitting with Snow. Her eyes…they were just like Snow's. This couldn't be Emma…could it? He did think he heard her call him "daddy." She was just a baby the last time he saw her though. She had grown so much. Was this really the same baby he carried in his arms while fighting off black knights and then placed into the wardrobe? How much time had passed since the curse was cast?

"Snow, is this…" Charming started to ask, but he couldn't finish. He still couldn't wrap his head around the idea that this little girl in front of him was Emma.

"Yes Charming, it's our Emma," Snow told him with a smile.

"How did you find her? How long have you had her? When…" David started to ask in a hurry. He wanted to know everything.

"I'll explain it all to you later," Snow said as she put her hand on his arm to calm him down. She didn't want him getting too worked up after just coming out of that coma. "How about you meet your daughter first."

Charming nodded his head and looked towards his little girl. "Hi, Emma," he said with a smile as he peeked his head down at her. Those bright green eyes just stared curiously back at him…it looked like she was going to be a little shy.

Snow looked down at Emma when she didn't say anything. As she pushed some of the hair out of Emma's face and tucked it behind her ear, she wondered why her little one was being so shy. She had been so excited about waking up her daddy…that's all Snow heard about since Emma first found John Doe all those weeks ago. Emma made her visit him everyday and read him those stories over and over again. It's not like Snow minded one bit. There was part of her, when she had only her memories of being Mary Margaret, that longed to be near him. She was glad that Emma was so insistent about waking him. Now, she was being so quiet though and Snow wasn't sure why.

"Em, what's wrong?" Snow asked.

Emma didn't answer. She kept her eyes on her daddy. He seemed to know who she was now. He must have just been confused for a second. Emma thought that made sense. She was only a little baby the last time he saw her. Emma just had to really really make sure he remembered, just like she did with her mommy.

"Do you really remember me?" Emma asked her daddy very quietly.

Snow closed her eyes and sighed. That one little question made Snow feel so sad for her little girl. She had been through so much. She lived for months with her mother that didn't remember her. She spent weeks reading to her comatose father that wouldn't awaken. The fact that she would question whether or not he really remembered was reasonable, but it still made Snow feel so bad. She should have done more for her little girl. Emma should never of had to go through all of that.

David looked up at Snow before answering. He didn't know why Emma would ask such a thing, of course he remembered her. He just didn't recognize her for a moment. How could he ever forget Emma? He wondered what had happened in the last several years. The look he got from Snow told him that she would explain it all later and that all he needed to do was answer Emma's question.

"I am very sure, Emma," David said with a smile, "I remember everything." He watched Emma's shy expression fade as her face lit up with excitement.

That was all Emma needed to hear. She launched herself at her daddy and he wrapped his arms around her. He was finally awake. He knew who he was. He knew that she was Emma and he knew her mommy too. She had her daddy back. She had her mommy. They could be a family now.

"I'm so glad you're awake now, Daddy!" Emma told him as she laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight.

"Me too, kiddo. Me too," he told her as tears started to well up in his eyes.

"I missed you," Emma whispered into his ear.

"I love you so much Emma," David said as held onto her and cradled the back of her head like he had done all those years ago. He couldn't believe it…he couldn't believe that he was holding his baby girl in his arms again. He never thought this day would come.

"I love you too Daddy," Emma said as she snuggled into him more. She was so excited. She waited so long for this to happen. Emma couldn't believe that she got her mommy and her daddy back in the same day.

Snow couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes as she watched at the sight in front of her. Her husband was awake, and they had their beautiful baby girl right here with them. When they were told that it would take 28 years to break the curse and see Emma again, Snow pushed away all of the dreams she had of raising her daughter. Now she had a chance though. They all had a chance to be a family.

"Daddy, you were asleep for a really long time," Emma said very seriously as she leaned back and looked up at Charming.

"I was, was I?" Charming asked with a laugh.

"Uh, huh," Emma said as she nodded her head. "Me and Mommy read to you lots and lots, but it didn't work."

"I'm sorry it didn't…" Charming started to say.

"And…" Emma continued. "Mommy tried to kiss you, but that didn't work either."

"Oh, she did?" Charming asked as he looked up at his wife and raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, but then I gave you my blankey and _I_ was the one who kissed you awake," Emma said with a big smile. She was surprised that she had been the one to do it, but she was also very proud that she woke her daddy up all by herself.

"Thank you for waking me up Emma" David told her with a smile. How could he not smile at her? She was just so adorable.

"I broke Daddy's curse, Mommy," Emma said as she looked at Snow.

"You did baby girl," Snow said as she gave Emma a kiss. Then a thought occurred to her…maybe waking David up wasn't the only thing that happened when Emma kissed him. "The curse…" Snow said as she looked up at her husband.

"Snow, do you think she…" Charming asked, knowing exactly what his wife was implying.

"Broke _the_ curse…I don't know," Snow said as she thought about it some more. Emma was destined to break the curse that brought them all here. It made sense…there was that bright light and true love's kiss can break any curse.

"Well there's only one way to find out," Charming said as he got up out of the bed. "What am I wearing?" he asked as he looked down at the hospital gown that covered him.

"It's just what they put on people when they're in the hospital," Snow told him as she tried to hold back a laugh.

"Hospital?" he asked.

"It's where people come when they are sick. It is not a fun place," Emma said as she crossed her arms.

"Oh it's not, is it?" Charming asked.

"No way," Emma said as she shook her head.

"Here, there are some clothes that should fit you in this drawer," Snow said as she went to the drawer and handed him the clothes that were inside. She had kept a set clothes here when she and Emma first started reading to him just in case he happened to wake up.

David took the clothes and looked up at his wife, giving her a confused look. He had never seen clothes like this before.

"They are clothes. I promise. Just go put them on in there," Snow said as she pushed him towards the bathroom. It never occurred to her that Charming was going to have a lot to get use to in this new world.

"Do you think I really did it? Do you think _everybody_ remembers who they are?" Emma asked as she sat on the bed and looked up at her mommy.

"I hope so, Em. We're going to go find out as soon as your daddy gets dressed," Snow told her.

"Okay," Emma said with a nod of her head. She sat on the bed and patiently waited for her daddy to come back.

"Ready?" David asked once he emerged from the bathroom.

"Yes. Let's go Em," Snow said as she turned towards her daughter.

"Okay," Emma said as she jumped down from the bed. She walked over to her daddy and tugged on his arm.

"What is it Emma?" David asked as he looked down at his sweet little girl.

"Daddy, will you hold me?" Emma asked as she reached her arms up for him. She really wanted her daddy to carry her.

"Of course I will," Charming said with a smile as he picked Emma up into his arms and headed for the door.

"Wait my blankey," Emma said as she turned her head to look for it.

"Here you go, sweetie," Snow said as she handed it to her with a wink.

"Thanks Momma," Emma said with a smile as she laid her head on her Daddy's shoulder.

"Snow?" Charming asked as he stopped and looked back at his wife. He was ready to lead the way, but he had no idea how to get out of this place.

"Follow me," Snow said with a smile as she led him out of the hospital, knowing exactly why he stopped.

As they were leaving the hospital and Emma relaxed in her daddy's arms, she looked all around. Where were the doctors and the nurses? Why wasn't there any patients in the rooms? There was nobody here. Emma thought that was silly…there were always people at hospitals. Nurses that gave you shots and the mean doctors that made them do it. The hospital was always filled with them and other patients too, but Emma couldn't find anybody. Once they made it outside though, Emma knew exactly where everybody went. There were people rushing around everywhere. They looked scared and lost…Emma thought maybe they wanted their mommies and daddies just like she did. She had hers though, so she didn't have to worry. She clung to her daddy even tighter though just in case. Emma looked all around, the people out here were worried. Emma looked up at her mommy and daddy…they looked worried too.

"Mommy, Daddy, what's happening?" Emma asked.

"I think you broke the curse, Em," Snow told her as she watched the people all around them.

"Oh she definitely broke the curse," David said as he held Emma tighter in his arms. Now, they just had to figure out what they were going to do about it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Ch. 17**

 _Thanks for all of the reviews! You all are the best! Here's the next chapter for you!_

 _Did everyone watch that episode last night? What did you think? So much emotion! I'm so excited for the finale!_

 _Enjoy :)_

"Daddy, what do we do?" Emma asked as she looked up at him.

"Well…" Charming started to say as he looked around him. He wasn't sure where to even begin. There were people everywhere who were confused and frantically looking for loved ones. He wasn't sure how he and Snow were going to fix this on their own. They had to come up with a plan though.

"Snow!" they heard a voice exclaim.

Snow looked up to see her best friend coming towards her. "Red!" Snow said as she gave her friend a hug. She had missed her so much. Yes, she had seen her just about everyday during the curse, but it wasn't the same. Ruby was very different from Red.

"Emma, this is…" Snow started to say.

"I know who she is Mommy. She's Little Red Riding Hood!" Emma said as she looked over at her favorite waitress from Granny's. She figured out who she was a long time ago.

"That's Auntie Red to you," Red told her with a smile as she tapped her on the nose with her finger.

Emma giggled and snuggled into her daddy. She never had an auntie before. She liked that she did now.

"Your highness?" said a voice from behind.

Emma lifted her head as her daddy turned around to see who it was. There were lots of little men standing there. She counted them. There were seven. The seven dwarves! They were all here together. Emma thought she saw some of the dwarves around town before, but she wasn't too sure if that's who they were. Now she knew though, they were the dwarves, and they were here to help too.

Snow embraced all of her friends. She was overjoyed to see them again. Charming greeted them as well. The dwarves wanted to know what was going on, what had happened, and what they could do to help. Snow and Charming explained to them what was going on and that Emma had broken the curse. All eyes were on Emma at that moment and that made her a little nervous. She clutched tighter to her blanket and hid her face in her daddy's shirt. She didn't like it when everyone looked at her. She didn't even know how she broke the curse…all she did was kiss her daddy. Emma knew true love's kiss could break curses, but she didn't know that would happen when she gave her daddy a kiss. She didn't mean to do it, but she was glad that she did. She didn't like that everyone was making a big deal about it though.

"Now what do we do?" Grumpy asked in a voice that matched his name as he looked up to the royals for instructions.

"We need to set up a meeting. We need to talk to everyone in the town," Charming said.

"We need to let them know that everything is going to be alright and that we're here to help them in any way we can," Snow added.

"We could have the meeting at town hall, first thing in the morning," Red suggested.

"Yeah, and how do you suggest we let everyone know about this meeting?" Grumpy asked her.

"We spread out," Charming said. "We go to everyone and tell them about the meeting. We tell them that we have a plan and will be discussing it first thing in the morning."

As Emma listened to the grown ups talk about what they were going to do to help the people in the town, she started to get really sleepy. Her head kept falling, it wouldn't stay up. Emma tried, but she eventually just gave in and laid it down on her daddy's shoulder. She was not tired though! She was not going to fall asleep, but then her eyes started to close. She rubbed them with her hand to try and keep them open. She didn't want to miss anything. She didn't want to fall asleep…what if her mommy and daddy left her to go tell people about the meeting? She didn't want that to happen. She let a little yawn escape her mouth, but tried to cover it up with her hands quickly when her mommy looked over at her. She didn't want her mommy to make her go to bed. She lifted her head up quickly and blinked her eyes a bunch of times so her mommy wouldn't think she was sleepy.

Unfortunately for Emma, Snow saw everything. She didn't miss Emma's head bobbing and Emma finally giving in and laying her head down. She watched as Emma rubbed her eyes with her little hand to help keep her awake. She saw Emma yawn and then quickly cover her mouth and sit up in order to look like she wasn't tired. Snow thought her daughter's attempts at staying awake were adorable. She knew Emma well enough though, and this little girl wasn't going to last much longer. She needed to get her home and put her to bed.

"Charming, it's getting late we'd better…" Snow started to say.

"Right," Charming said as he looked down at Emma. He knew what his wife was going to say. Their princess needed to go home and get into bed. She had a long day and needed her rest. "Here, why don't you take her. I'll go help Red and the dwarves spread the word about the meeting," he said as he lifted Emma to give her to Snow.

"No, Daddy," Emma said as she clung to him.

"Emma, you need to go home and go to sleep baby," Charming said as he gently rubbed her back.

"No, I'm not tired. See," Emma said as she opened her eyes really wide and looked up at her daddy.

"Emma, you are tired," Charming said with a laugh.

"Come on, little one. Let's go get you in your warm pajamas and into bed," Snow said as she reached out for Emma.

"No…" Emma said as she shook her head.

"Emma," Snow said, her voice a little more stern this time.

"But I don't want to," Emma said as she started to cry and reached out her arms, going to her mommy. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to leave her daddy, but she was trying to be a good girl and listen. She wanted to snuggle her mommy, but she wanted her daddy too. She wasn't tired, but she couldn't keep her eyes open. She wanted to go home, but she didn't want to miss out on anything that happened here. Her head was being silly and she was so confused. Why couldn't she stop crying?

"I know, sweetie," Snow said as she rubbed circles on Emma's back.

"Daddy you…come…too," Emma begged in between her sobs.

David hated seeing his little girl so upset, but he really needed to help here. These were the people of his kingdom, and they needed his help. Emma needed him too though, but she had Snow with her. These people didn't have anyone right now. "Emma I really need to…" he started to say.

"Hey, the dwarves and I can handle this," Red told him. "You both go home with Emma and rest up for that meeting in the morning."

"Are you sure?" Snow asked her.

"We'll be fine sister. You both go on home," Grumpy told her.

"Thank you," Snow and David told them.

"Okay, Em, Daddy's coming home with you," David said as he gave Emma a kiss on the head.

"Oh…kay…Daddy," Emma said in between her breaths as she started to calm down. She was feeling better now that her mommy and daddy were both coming home with her. She relaxed in her mommy's arms as they all went home.

Snow was hoping Emma would fall asleep on the way home, but she managed to stay awake. She knew it would have been easier to get Emma into bed if she had fallen asleep. Emma usually didn't put up a fight when it came to going to bed…that is unless she was overly tired like she was tonight. They had a really big day today and Emma didn't get a good nights sleep the night before, so she was past the point of exhaustion right now.

"Momma, I don't want to go to bed," Emma complained as they walked up the stairs to and into her bedroom.

"Emma, it is way past your bedtime, sweetie," Snow told her.

"Daddy, please don't make me go to bed," Emma said as she looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Emma, your mommy and I are going to bed too," David told her. "We all need some sleep."

"But I don't want to," Emma whined.

"Here, Em, why don't you pick out your pajamas," Snow said as put Emma down and opened the drawer where her pajamas were.

"No," Emma said as she crossed her arms and gave her mommy a grumpy look.

"Daddy, how about you pick out Emma's pajamas for her?" Snow suggested as she gave her husband a smile.

"Okay, let's see what we've got here," Charming said a he looked into the drawer. "How about these ones? They're very pretty," he said as he looked at Emma and held up pink sparkly pajamas with butterflies on them.

"No, Daddy. Those ones are too itchy," Emma told him.

"Hmmm…what about these purple ones?" he said as he held up her purple polka-dot pajamas. He noticed all of the purple around the room and thought maybe that was Emma's favorite color, so he thought she may like these ones.

"No, I don't like those," Emma said as she shook her head.

"Now, Emma those are your favorite pajamas. You're just being silly. You need to pick one. Either the pink sparkles or the purple," Snow told her. She knew the pink sparkly ones didn't really make her itchy, and she wore the purple pajamas as much as she could. Emma was just being stubborn.

Emma just stood her ground. She kept her arms crossed and continued giving her mommy a grumpy look. She wasn't going to pick one. If she didn't pick one, then they couldn't make her go to bed…or so she thought.

"Okay Em, Mommy will pick then," Snow said as she turned to pick out which pajamas their defiant little girl would be wearing tonight.

"No, I wanna pick," Emma said as she uncrossed her arms and went to her daddy who was holding up her two choices.

Snow and Charming just looked at each other, trying to hold back their smiles. Snow knew Emma would not like it if she didn't get to pick out her own pajamas, and they both thought Emma's grumpy faces were adorable. They couldn't let her know that though, so they kept their composure as Emma made her decision.

"I want these ones," Emma said as she pointed to the purple ones.

"Good choice, Em," Snow said as she took them from David. She knew those were the ones Emma was going to pick. "Let's put them on."

"No, I want Daddy to help me," Emma said as she backed away from her mommy.

"Daddy, would you like to do the honors?" Snow asked as she held out the purple pajamas to her husband.

"I would love to," David said with a smile as he took them from Snow and gave her the pink ones to put away.

Once Emma was dressed, her teeth were brushed, and she used the bathroom. They were finally ready to put her into bed…after a quick bedtime story of course.

"Wait," Emma said as she sat up in her bed. "I need my drink of water." Emma almost forgot about that. How could she forget? This trick always bought her at few extra minutes at bedtime.

"Okay, Emma. I'll go get it," Snow said with a sigh as she stood up and left the room to go get her a drink. She knew she was forgetting part of Emma's bedtime routine.

"I'll come with you," Emma said as she grabbed her blankey and hopped out of bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Charming asked as he caught Emma in his arms before she even hit the floor.

"I want to go with Mommy…pretty please," Emma said as she looked up at her daddy.

Those little green eyes just melted his heart. How could he tell her no? He didn't think he would ever be able to. This little girl had him wrapped around her tiny finger already. "Okay, let's go find her," David told her with a wink.

Emma nodded her head and smiled as they left the room. The ran into Snow in the hallway with a cup of water in her hands.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Snow asked as she raised her eyebrows at her daughter, then looked to her husband. "What is she doing out of bed Daddy?"

"Emma just wanted to come with you," David said with a shrug of his shoulders. "She said 'pretty please,'" David added with a grin.

Snow just rolled her eyes and shook her head. She couldn't help the smile that came to her face though. Charming was going to be such a push over…this little one was going to get away with everything.

"Mommy, I need water from downstairs. I don't like upstairs water," Emma said as she made a yucky face at the cup.

"Emma…." Snow said with a sigh.

"Pretty please, Momma," Emma said as she looked up at her…it worked on her daddy, so maybe it would work on her mommy too.

"Well, let's go then," Snow said as she led the way downstairs. She wasn't even going to try to fight it, she was too tired.

David carried Emma down the stairs behind his wife. He couldn't help but notice the triumphant little grin on his daughter's face.

"Okay, Em. You have you're downstairs water, you've gone to the bathroom, brushed your teeth, and heard a story…are you ready for bed now?" Snow asked as they stood in the kitchen.

Emma looked over to where her mommy's bed was, then back at her mommy. "Momma, can I sleep with you and Daddy?" she asked as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

Snow exchanged a look with her husband. Neither one of them minded if Emma slept with them tonight. She had a very big day, and they both knew that she probably just wanted to be near them.

"Okay, little one. You can sleep with us tonight," Snow said as she gave Emma a kiss on the forehead.

"Thanks Mommy," Emma said as she laid her head down on her Daddy's shoulder.

Emma was out like a light before they even made it over to their bed. Charming gently laid Emma down in the middle of the bed. He and Snow climbed into bed with their little girl. David just smiled when Emma snuggled up next to him. He placed his arm around her and looked up at his wife.

"Snow, she's just so…" Charming started to say as he looked back down at Emma.

"Perfect…I know," Snow said as she pushed some of the hair away from Emma's face and gave her a kiss.

"I just can't believe she's five years old already. We've missed so much," David said.

"I know," Snow said with a sigh. "But we have this time now. We have the rest of our lives to spend with her."

"And we're going to make the most of it," David said as he looked up at Snow. "But how? How did you get her? How did she get here? Have you had her the whole time? What happened?" he wanted to know everything that happened while he was in that coma.

Snow told him everything. She told him about her life in Storybrooke before Emma came to town. She told him about how she found Emma at the hospital. She told him about Emma's life in foster care and about her decision to take her in and care for her. She told him that it wasn't a decision really, it was an instinct…she just knew she had to protect this little girl and take her away from the life she had been living. She filled him in on the fun things they did together. She told him about how Emma made her read that storybook to her over and over again and how she only liked to read the ones with Snow White and Prince Charming in them. She told Charming all about when Emma found him and how they had to come visit him everyday after that. She explained to Charming how she got her memories back and how they were able to wake him from his coma.

All of this was a lot for David to wrap his head around. His heart broke for his wife, who lived such a sad life before Emma came to town. His heart broke for his little princess who had a hard life until she made her way to Storybrooke. He never wanted his little girl to feel any pain. He was suppose to be there for her…to protect her, but he wasn't. He would be there now though. He would be there for both of his girls.

"Charming, what are we going to say to everyone at this meeting tomorrow?" Snow asked.

"I have no idea…you were always the one that was good at talking to the people. Not me," he said as he sat back and gave her a smile.

"You were good too," Snow told him as she reached out to hold his hand.

"I don't know, Snow," David said as he shook his head. He didn't know anything about this place. How was he going to be able to help the people of his kingdom with no knowledge of this world?

"We'll do this together…just like we do everything," Snow said as she leaned towards him and gave him a kiss.

They sat up most of the night coming up with a plan and deciding what exactly they were going to tell everybody at the meeting tomorrow.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 _Hey everyone! Sorry it's been forever since I've posted...it's been a crazy summer so far! I hope you like this chapter. I've decided to focus mainly on the Charming family for this story. If you have any Charming family moments you would like to see just let me know! I love hearing from you! Enjoy :)_

A few weeks had passed and the town was pretty much settled again. People found their loved ones they had been separated from during the curse and people were happy again. They had no idea how to get back to the Enchanted Forest…at least not yet, so they resumed living their lives here in Storybrooke. They opened Granny's, they opened the school, and the adults went back to work.

"Finish up your breakfast, Em. We have to leave for school in a few minutes," Snow told her little girl, who was picking at her pancakes. Snow had decided to keep her job teaching fourth grade. She loved her students and didn't want to give up teaching them. This was their first day back, and if Emma didn't start eating her breakfast, they would be late.

"I'm all done," Emma said as she put her fork down. She wasn't feeling very hungry. Her belly was full of butterflies because she had to go back to school today. She really didn't want to go. She just wanted to stay with her mommy and daddy.

"Are you sure?" Snow said as she picked up a piece of pancake with the fork and waved in it front of Emma's face, trying to get her to eat it. "Mommy made them special just for you."

"No, I'm not hungry," Emma said as she shook her head.

"Please, Em," Snow said as she stuck out her lip pretending to pout.

"Okay, but just one bite," Emma said with a small smile before taking the bite from her mommy.

"That's my girl," Snow said. She wished Emma would eat more. She didn't want her getting hungry before lunchtime came, but she wasn't going to push it.

Snow knew why Emma didn't want to eat. She knew Emma was nervous about going back to school again. This was the first day the school would be open since the curse was broken. Emma would have the same teacher and all of the same friends in her class as before, so she really had nothing to be nervous about. Snow knew why Emma was feeling the way she was though. Emma had been with her and Charming pretty much all day, everyday since the curse was broken. Occasionally she would spend some time with Red and Granny, giving Snow and Charming some alone time…other than that she was with them. Snow and Charming loved having their little girl with them everywhere they went. Now, they just had to figure out a way to get Emma back into her normal routine of going to school.

"Daddy, are you coming to school too?" Emma asked, when he came into the kitchen.

"I have to go to work today, Em," David said. He had taken a job at the Sheriff's station with Graham.

"But I really want you to come," Emma said as she looked up at him. "Pretty please," she added. She usually got what she wanted when she told her daddy 'pretty please.'

Charming couldn't resist those sweet little eyes that were looking up at him. How could he tell her no?

"How about I walk you to your classroom with Mommy?" David asked as he picked Emma up from her chair.

"Yeah," Emma said with a big smile as she nodded her head. Having her mommy _and_ her daddy take her to school would probably make her butterflies go away.

Emma was wrong though. She still was really scared to go into her classroom when they got there. She knew she had fun at school before. She had friends and she loved her teacher, but she didn't want to go back. She wanted to be with her mommy and daddy. She didn't want them to leave her. What if something bad happened?

"Momma, I don't want to go in," Emma said as she stopped at the door and held onto her mommy's leg.

"Emma, we talked about this sweetie," Snow said with a sigh. "It's time to go back to school and you love school, remember?"

"I know, but I don't want to go anymore," Emma said as she shook her head.

"How are you going to learn new things if you don't go to school?" Snow asked.

"You can teach me," Emma said as she looked up at her mommy. She was a teacher. Why couldn't she just be her teacher too? Then they could just stay home and Emma wouldn't have to come here.

"Emma, Mommy has to teach her own students," Snow reminded her as she gave Charming a look…a look that told him she really needed to go. Her students would be coming any minute and she needed to be in her classroom when they arrived.

"But I can come with you and learn with the big kids. I'll be good I promise," Emma begged.

"Come on, kiddo. It looks like everyone is having so much fun in there," David said as he knelt down to try and convince Emma to let go of Snow and go into the classroom.

"No, it's not fun. Mommy, please," Emma said as she reached her arms up, wanting her mommy to pick her up and take her to her classroom with her.

"Let's go, Em," David said as he scooped Emma up into his arms. "Tell Mommy goodbye."

"No Daddy," Emma said as she tried to wiggle out of her daddy's grasp. "Mommy I want to come with you!"

Snow's heart melted at the sad look her little girl was giving her. She didn't want to leave her like this, but she knew it was for the best. Getting back into the routine of going to school was very important.

"Go ahead, Snow. I've got this," David said. He could see his wife needed a little nudge. He would get Emma to calm down and into the classroom.

"Bye, little one. I love you," Snow said as she gave Emma a kiss goodbye. She gave her husband one as well before she was off to tend to her own classroom.

"Bye, Momma," Emma said quietly as she waved her little hand, giving into the fact that her mommy was going to her own classroom. Emma didn't want her mommy to leave her, but her Daddy was still here so she was still okay for now.

"Alright, Em. Let's go in here and see what your friends are up to," David said as he opened the door and walked into Emma's classroom.

"Hello, Emma," Miss Andrews said with a smile as she greeted them at the door.

"Hi," Emma said quietly as she laid her head down on her daddy's shoulder.

David put Emma down and got her to show him where she was suppose to put her things. He helped her hang her backpack up and take off her coat. She was all settled at her desk doing her morning work. She was practicing writing some letters and she seemed to be doing fine until David told her that he was going to leave.

"Okay, princess. I have to go now. I'll see you when I get home from work," Charming said as he gave Emma a kiss on the head and started walking towards the door.

"No Daddy don't leave!" Emma exclaimed as she got up from her seat and ran towards the door.

"Emma stay here with us sweetie," Miss Andrews said as she held onto Emma, stopping her from leaving the classroom.

"No, I don't want to," Emma said as she tried to wiggle free from her teacher's grasp.

"Emma…go finish your work kiddo. I'll see you later. I promise," David said, trying to reassure her, but it was becoming difficult. For some reason, Emma did _not_ want to stay here today and David was having a hard time leaving her.

"Go ahead and go. She'll be alright," Miss Andrews assured him with a smile as she picked Emma up and started to carry her back to her desk.

"No, don't leave me," Emma begged him.

"It's okay, Emma. We're going to do lots of fun things today…" Miss Andrews said, trying to calm Emma down.

"Daddy Daddy, no! I want you," Emma cried out as she reached her arms out towards him, ignoring what her teacher was telling her.

Charming looked back at Emma and saw that there were big tears streaming down her face. She was so upset. Something was bothering her and she seemed truly terrified of staying here without him or Snow.

"You know what," Charming said with a sigh as he walked back towards his little girl. He couldn't take it anymore. He wasn't going to leave Emma here if it was going to make her this upset. "I'll just take her with me today. We'll try again tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Miss Andrews asked. "I'm sure she'll calm down in a few minutes."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thank you," Charming said with a smile as he reached out to take Emma.

Emma immediately went to her daddy and clung tightly to him as she continued to cry. She didn't know why she was so upset. She just really didn't want to be here without her mommy and daddy. She was glad her daddy wasn't going to make her stay, but she still couldn't stop crying.

"Emma, calm down baby. You're alright," Charming said as he gently rubbed Emma's back.

"Daddy…I can…stay…with you?" Emma asked in between her sobs as she lifted her head and looked up at him.

"Just for today, Em. Okay?" Charming told her.

"Okay, Daddy," Emma said as she nodded her head.

They made their way over to the Sheriff's station, so David could get some work done. He just had a lot of paperwork to do. The past several days had been pretty slow. He assumed today would be the same and he saw no harm in having Emma here today. He wasn't sure how Snow would feel about him letting Emma skip her first day back at school. He left a message with the school to let her know and hoped that she wouldn't be too mad at him for bringing Emma to work with him today instead of making her stay at school.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 _Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful summer! Who's ready for the Season Premiere on Sunday? I know I am! It's going to be so good!_

 _Anyways, I hate that I had to make you all wait so long for an update, but I'm trying really hard to fit writing into my schedule again…no matter how hectic that schedule may be! I hope I still have some readers out there. Let me know if you're still reading! And please, if you guys have any Charming family moments you'd like me to incorporate into this story, just ask! I could always use some inspiration :)_

 _Also, thanks to the guest who pointed out that they wouldn't be texting back in the 80's. I don't know where my head was when I wrote that. I went back and fixed it!_

 _Well, I hope you like the chapter I've written! Enjoy :)_

"Alright Em, Daddy has a lot of work to get done today, so I need you to be a good girl for me. Okay?" David told Emma as they walked into the station.

"Okay, Daddy," Emma said with a nod of her head. She would make sure she was a very good girl. She didn't want him to take her back to school. She had a few toys in her backpack she could play with while her daddy worked. She was pretty sure she put a few coloring books and crayons in there too.

"Well who do we have here," Graham said as he entered the room a few minutes later with a couple coffees and a box that Emma hoped had some donuts inside.

"Hi, Graham," Emma said with a small smile.

"I thought school was starting back up today," he asked.

"I didn't want to go," Emma said as she looked down.

"This isn't going to be a problem is it?" David asked him.

"No, not at all. We could use some extra help around here. Plus, I bought a few too many donuts, think you could eat a few for me?" he asked Emma as he knelt down and opened the box.

Emma smiled and nodded her head as she grabbed the bear claw. Those were her favorite. "Thank you," she told him before taking a bite.

Graham let Emma "help" with some things around the station all morning. Then the three of them went to lunch at Granny's. Graham had to go out on a call in the afternoon, so Emma was left to entertain herself with the toys in her backpack while David did his paperwork. Snow walked in just as she was finishing up one of her pictures.

"Momma!" Emma said as she ran over to her. "Look what I made you!"

"Wow, it's beautiful Emma. Thank you," Snow said as she knelt down to look at the picture and give her little girl a hug.

"Hey Snow," David said with a smile as he walked over to his wife.

"Charming," Snow said with a raise of her eyebrows.

David could tell by her tone and the look on her face that he had some explaining to do.

"Emma, why don't you go clean up your stuff, okay?" David said.

"Okay," Emma said as she ran over to where she left her things.

"Snow, I'm sorry," he started to say.

"David, we can't make a habit of this. I know she's been with us pretty much all of the time for the last couple of weeks, so it's hard for her to be away, but we have to get her back into a routine. She has to go to school," Snow told him.

"I know. You're right, but she was just so upset," he told her.

"She would have calmed down. She acted that way when I first took her to school," Snow said.

"No, Snow. This was more than that. She was more than just upset. She seemed truly scared of being away from both of us," David said.

Snow could tell by the look on her husbands face that Emma did more than throw a little tantrum to get out of staying at school. She asked him what exactly happened and he told her how Emma reacted when he was about to leave. Snow knew Charming was right, there was something more going on in their little girl's head, and they were going to have to figure it out.

"Maybe we should talk to her about it tonight," Snow suggested. If this was more than just having trouble getting back into a routine, then they couldn't just try again tomorrow and hope for the best. They needed to get to the root of the problem.

"I think we should," David said. "Something is frightening her."

"Okay, I'll take her home and get dinner started so you can finish up here," Snow told him.

"Okay, I should only be another hour or so. I just have a few more things to do," David told her.

"Okay," Snow said with a smile as she leaned in to give her husband a kiss. "I love you, Charming."

"I love you too," he told her.

"Emma, you ready to go home babe?" Snow asked.

"Uh huh," Emma said as she zipped up her book bag. Emma gave her daddy a hug goodbye and went home with her mommy.

Snow let Emma help her make dinner. She didn't bring up anything about school. She wanted to wait until Charming got home before they talked to her about that. David came home and they all enjoyed a nice dinner together. They all helped wash the dishes. Then David and Snow sat with Emma on the couch to see if they could get her to tell them why she wouldn't stay at school today.

"Emma, we need to talk to you," David told her.

"Why?" Emma asked as she looked down…she knew why.

"Emma, why didn't you want to stay at school today?" David asked.

"I don't like school," Emma said as she continued to look down.

"Emma, you love school. You love your teacher. You have so much fun with your friends," Snow reminded her.

"Not anymore," Emma said as she shook her head.

"Why not, Em?" David asked.

Emma just shrugged her shoulders.

"Emma…" Snow said as she placed her finger's under Emma's chin, gently lifting it up. "Why don't you like school anymore?"

"Because you're not there with me," Emma told her.

"Emma, Mommy wasn't with you when you were at school before. And you still loved it," David told her.

"But that was before," Emma said as she shook her head. "I…I need you with me now."

"Why Emma?" Snow asked.

"Because I just need to see you. I have to watch you!" Emma said.

"Emma you don't have to watch us. Mommy and I can take care of ourselves," David told her.

"No, I do! I do! I have to see you're still there!" Emma said in a panic.

"Emma, I'm just upstairs in my classroom. I'm still there even if you can't see me, " Snow said.

"And I'm just at work. You'll see me when I get home," David added.

"No, I can't let you go away again! I have to see you!" Emma demanded. Tears started falling from her eyes. Why couldn't they understand?

"Emma…" David said with a sigh, thinking he might have figured out what was bothering her so much.

"No, I just have to make sure," Emma told him.

"Make sure what?" David asked her calmly.

"That you still remember," Emma said with a sniffle as she wiped a few of her tears away. She couldn't let her mommy forget that she was Snow White again. Her Daddy had his memories when he woke up from his coma, but what if something happened and he forgot her too? Emma didn't want that to happen. She had to make sure it didn't.

"Oh sweetie," Snow said with a sigh as she pulled Emma onto her lap. "We will always remember you."

"But what if you forget?" Emma asked.

"Emma, we won't forget," David assured her.

"How do you know?" Emma asked him desperately.

"Emma, you broke the curse," Snow reminded her. "You brought everyone's memories back and those memories aren't going anywhere."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked.

"Yes I am. You saved us, Em," Snow told her with a smile.

"And things will never go back to the way they were. We promise," David added.

Emma looked up at her mommy and daddy. She looked into their eyes and could tell that they were telling the truth. They weren't scared that something bad was going to happen, so Emma knew she didn't need to be scared either.

"Okay," Emma said with a nod of her head.

"Do you think you'll be ready to stay at school tomorrow then?" Snow asked.

"Yeah I think so," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"That's my girl," Snow said as she gave Emma a kiss on the cheek.

"Will you come visit me at recess time?" Emma asked as she looked up at her mommy. She knew her mommy's students were at special class then, so she could come visit if she wanted to.

"Of course I will," Snow told her.

"Thanks Mommy," Emma said with a smile. She was feeling much better about all of this now.

"How about we go get you a bath so you're all cleaned up for your big day tomorrow," Charming said as he stood up and picked Emma up off of Snow's lap.

"With my pink bubbles Daddy?" Emma asked her eyes wide with excitement.

"Whatever you want, princess," Charming said as he gave her a kiss and headed towards the bathroom.

Snow and Charming gave their little girl a bath. They got her snuggled into her pajamas and into bed with her blanket, of course. They read her three bedtime stories and sat for awhile longer after Emma's eyes had fluttered shut….just watching their beautiful little girl sleep soundly.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 _Wow 20 chapter already! I can't believe it! I just want to take a moment to thank all of you for the wonderful reviews. You all give me so much inspiration! Your kind words really do make me smile :)_

 _Some of you have asked about other characters, such as Regina and Gold coming into the story. I appreciate that you would like to see them, but I really just want this to be a Charming family story. That's what I'm best at writing. I really really want to please everybody, but I don't want to force anything. Who knows, maybe one day I'll get an idea and be able to fit them into the story. :)_

 _Anyway, here's the next chapter for you! Enjoy :)_

"Alright, you can come, but we leave Emma at the same time," Snow told Charming with a raise of her eyebrows. She didn't want to take the chance that he would take Emma to work with him again and let her skip school for the second day in a row.

"Deal," Charming said with a grin.

"Daddy! Are you coming too?" Emma asked as she ran up to him.

"Of course I am!" David said as he scooped Emma up in his arms.

"Yay!" Emma said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Remember Emma, you're going to stay in your class today," Snow told her.

"I know Mommy," Emma said as she laid her head down on her daddy's shoulder. She still felt nervous about being away from her mommy and daddy, but she was going to be a brave girl and stay at school. She would remember what her mommy and daddy told her…that they wouldn't forget her. They would still remember her when school was over.

Snow and Charming walked Emma all the way to her classroom just like they had done the day before, hoping things would go better this time.

"Alright, Em, I'll see you when I get home from work later and I want to hear all about your fun day at school!" David said as he knelt down in front of Emma.

"Okay, Daddy," Emma said as she nodded her head and reached out to give him a hug goodbye.

Charming stepped back and gave Snow a chance to tell Emma goodbye.

"Bye Emma. I'll be upstairs if you need anything okay?" Snow told her.

"Okay Momma," Emma said as she gave her mommy a hug. Emma leaned back to look at her. "You'll come see me at recess right?"

"Absolutely," Snow said with a smile as she gave her a kiss.

Emma was having a pretty good morning at school so far. She had fun with her friends and she was the line leader today, which was always a fun job, but she really missed her mommy and daddy. She asked her teacher three times when recess was. Emma really wanted to ask again, but she didn't want to bother her teacher anymore. They were at centers right now and Emma knew recess was right after center time. She didn't have too much longer to wait to see her mommy.

"Don't you want to come play with us?" Emma's friend asked when they got outside to the playground.

"No, I just want to wait here for my mommy," Emma said as she stood at the edge of the playground. Emma knew her mommy would be here soon.

"Hey there little one," Snow said from behind.

"Mommy!" Emma said as she turned ran straight into her arms.

"Hey baby," Snow said as she scooped Emma up in her arms.

"I missed you," Emma said as she laid her head down and snuggled into her mommy.

"I missed you too, Em," Snow said as she squeezed her daughter tight. "Did you have a good morning?"

"Yeah, it was fine," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Don't you want to go play with your friends?" Snow asked as she put Emma down.

"No, I want to play with you," Emma said.

"Emma, Mommy is just suppose to be visiting really quick. I have work to do," Snow told her.

"Please Momma. Just for a little bit," Emma said as she looked up at her mommy with sad eyes.

Snow sighed. How could she say no to that face? "Alright, Em. I'll play for a little bit."

"Yay! Come on let's go play on the swings," Emma said as she grabbed her mommy by the hand and pulled her over to where the swings were.

Emma ended up talking Snow into staying for almost all of recess. Snow wasn't going to be able to do this everyday. She had a lot of work to get done while her students were at special class. She knew Emma needed this right now though, so she would be here for her little girl as long as she needed her. Snow was true to her word and stopped by the playground everyday after dropping her students off. Emma got better and better each day though and by Friday she seemed to be back to her normal self, loving school again. When Snow got to the playground on Friday, all she got from Emma was a quick hug before she ran off playing with her friends again. Snow was happy to see that Emma was having fun at school like she use to. Snow had a feeling she wasn't going to need to be visiting Emma at recess much anymore.

"Momma look! Look what I got!" Emma said as she ran into Snow's classroom at the end of the day.

"What? What is it?" Snow asked. She couldn't help but laugh at Emma's excited little face.

"I filled up my sticker chart today and got a prize! Look, I got this cute little bunny," Emma said as she held up a little stuffed bunny she got from the prize box.

"Oh Em, it's so cute," Snow said as she examined the bunny Emma held up at her. "You must have been a very good girl all week to get this."

"I was Mommy," Emma said with a smile.

"I am so proud of you baby girl," Snow said as she scooped Emma up in her arms and gave her a hug. She was relieved that Emma was finally back to her normal self.

"Mommy, are we staying here for a little bit?" Emma asked. Sometimes they went straight home and sometimes they stayed here so her mommy could grade papers. Emma liked it when they stayed here. Her mommy let her write on the chalk board and that was really fun!

"We are, Em. Daddy is actually going to pick you up here today," Snow told her.

"Why is Daddy picking me up here?" Emma asked. Usually, Emma and her mommy got home first and started to make dinner while they waited for Daddy to get home from work.

"I have to stay late for a few meetings."

"Okay," Emma said with a nod of her head. "Is Daddy coming soon?"

"Not for a little while," Snow told her.

"So I can play with chalk?" Emma asked excitedly.

"Sure, Em. Go ahead," Snow said with a smile.

Emma spent the next hour or so contently drawing pictures on her mommy's chalk board. She drew her new toy bunny, she drew her mommy and daddy, and she drew herself. She practiced writing her letters and words too.

"Hey there princess," David said as he knelt down behind Emma and wrapped his arms around her.

"Daddy!" Emma said as she turned around. She didn't even hear him come into the classroom. He was very sneaky.

"Have a good day today?" David asked as he picked her up.

"Uh huh," Emma said with a nod of her head. "Look what I got from the prize box!" Emma showed him her brand new stuffed bunny.

"Oh wow! Look at that," David said as he looked at Emma's new toy.

"Isn't it cute, Daddy?" Snow asked as she came up behind her husband.

"Not as cute as you," Charming said with a grin as he turned to give his wife a kiss.

Emma just giggled while her mommy and daddy kissed. She thought they were both cute.

"But this one is the cutest," Snow said as she tickled Emma's belly.

"No, Mommy," Emma said in between her little laughs.

"How about Daddy then?" David said as he started to tickle Emma.

"No…no…no tickles from anybody," Emma said as she tried to hold onto her daddy's hands so he would stop.

"Okay, okay," David said, finally giving in and stopping.

"I have my first meeting in a few minutes anyway," Snow said.

"Well, we better head home then," David said to Emma.

"Yeah, I'll go get my stuff," Emma said as she wiggled down from her daddy's arms and ran over to get her book bag.

"I should be home around 8 or so," Snow told Charming.

"Okay, I think I can hold the fort down until then," he said.

"I know you can," Snow said as she leaned in to kiss him once more.

"I'm ready!" Emma said as she squeezed herself in-between her parents.

"Bye, Em. Be good for Daddy."

"I will, Mommy. Bye!" Emma said as she waved goodbye and left with her daddy.

David got Emma home and helped her with her homework.

"Okay Daddy, I have to read these two stories and that's all," Emma told him as she put the books on the table.

"Alright Em," Charming said, trying to hold back a grin. She always had the most serious look on her face when she did her homework. He thought it was adorable.

"I want to read this one first," Emma said as she held up the book with puppy on the front.

"That looks like a good one. Need any help?" David asked…he knew that she didn't. Snow told him Emma had been reading way above her grade level ever since she arrived in Storybrooke.

"No Daddy," Emma said as she shook her head. She could read these books all by herself.

"I'll just listen then," David said with a smile. He loved to just sit and listen to her read.

Emma gave him a nod and started into her first book.

"Daddy, can we have spaghetti for dinner?" Emma asked once she had put all of her school stuff away.

"Sure kiddo. Want to help me make it?"

"I just want to lay on the couch for a few minutes first, then I'll help you," Emma said as she rubbed her eyes with her little hand.

"Okay, that's fine princess," David said as he knelt down and gave Emma a kiss on the forehead. He had a feeling Emma wouldn't be helping him out at all.

"Emma, dinner is ready," David called out a little while later.

When he didn't hear an answer he looked up to find Emma fast asleep on the couch. He walked over to her and just smiled. He thought about waking her so she could eat, but she just looked so sweet and peaceful as she slept. He didn't want to wake her. David covered her up with a blanket and let his little girl sleep. He knew she had a long week back at school and was probably exhausted. He put the spaghetti away and decided they could just eat when Emma woke up from her little nap. David did some things around the house while Emma slept. He cleaned up the kitchen and did a few loads of laundry. Then he decided to sit down beside Emma and found himself dozing off too.

"Charming," Snow whispered.

"Hey Snow," Charming said with a smile as he looked up at his wife. "What time is it?"

"About 8:30. I see our little one is asleep already," Snow said as she looked over towards Emma. She was hoping Emma would still be awake when she got home.

"Yeah she's been sleeping for awhile now actually," David told her.

"What time did she fall asleep exactly?" Snow cringed as she nervously waited for her husband's answer.

"Oh I don't know a little after 5. Why?" David said with a shrug of his shoulders. He didn't see what the big deal was.

"David," Snow said with a groan as she covered her face with her hands. "You know she's going to be up all night now, right?"

"Oh," David said, realizing why Snow seemed so upset. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think…"

"It's okay. We'll just be having a late night, I guess," Snow said with a shrug of her shoulders. Tomorrow was Saturday anyway, they could just sleep in.

"Maybe, she'll go back to sleep at a normal time," Charming said. "She did have a long week."

"Yeah maybe…" Snow said with a laugh as she went to wake their little girl up from her very long nap. She knew very well Emma would not be going back to sleep for several hours. They were going to have a long night ahead of them.


	21. Chapter 21

_Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait. Here's the next chapter for you! I hope you like it. If anyone has any Charming family ideas, feel free to share! I could always use some inspiration! Enjoy :)_

 **Chapter 21**

"Emma," Snow whispered as she brushed the hair out of her sleepy little girls face.

"Hi, Mommy," Emma said with a smile as she opened her eyes.

"Ready to wake up sleepyhead?" Snow asked.

"Is it morning?" Emma asked with a smile as she sat up.

"No baby, it's not morning," Snow said with a sigh. "It's time for you to eat some dinner." It was obviously way past when they would normally eat dinner, but since Emma and Charming slept through it, they were going to eat it now.

"Did Daddy make the spaghetti?" Emma asked, remembering what she had wanted for dinner earlier.

"Of course I did. That's what the princess requested," David said from the kitchen as he got out the spaghetti he had made earlier and placed it on the table.

"Yay!" Emma said as she hopped down from the couch and ran over to the table. "It looks so yummy, Daddy!"

"Thank you Emma," David told her as he helped her onto the chair.

"Emma, can Mommy pull your hair up so you don't get spaghetti in it this time?" Snow asked. Last time they ate spaghetti Emma got more sauce in her hair than she got in her mouth.

"No, Mommy," Emma said as she shook her head. "I won't get sauce in it this time."

"Alright," Snow said with a shrug of her shoulders. She knew they would most definitely be cleaning sauce out of Emma's hair once dinner was over.

"See Mommy, I can do it," Emma said as she took a bite of her spaghetti.

"Good job, Em," Snow told her with a wink. "Don't forget to eat some of your salad too."

"I'll eat it after this," Emma said as she looked over at her salad. Emma thought salad was yucky. She didn't like it. She was hoping her mommy and daddy would forget about it and she wouldn't have to eat it.

"All done," Emma said a few minutes later as she put her fork down and quickly tried to jump down from the chair.

"Hold on a second," David said as he put his arm up to stop Emma from getting down. "You didn't eat any of your salad."

"But, I'm too full now, Daddy," Emma said as she rubbed her tummy.

"Just a few bites," David told her.

"Come on, Em. It's really yummy," Snow said as she took a bite of her own salad.

"No, I don't want it," Emma whined.

"No bubbles in your bath tonight if you don't eat a couple bites," David said with a raise of his eyebrows.

"I don't even want bubbles anyway," Emma said as she crossed her arms.

Snow and Charming looked up at each other, trying not to laugh at the grumpy look on their little girl's face. They knew she would most definitely want bubbles once it was bath time, which would be right after dinner because Emma was covered in sauce like she always is after she eats spaghetti.

"Just two bites," Snow said as she picked up a fork full of salad and held it out for Emma to eat.

Emma just looked up at her mommy and made sure her mouth was closed tight. She was not going to eat that yucky green lettuce. It was gross and she wasn't going to do it.

Snow sighed and put the fork down, realizing Emma wasn't going to take a bite.

"Alright Emma, straight to the bathroom then and no bubbles," Snow told her. Not only was Emma a mess, but Snow hoped a nice warm bath might make Emma sleepy and help her go to bed at a reasonable time tonight.

"Okay," Emma said as she hoped down from her chair and went into the bathroom, very satisfied that she got away without having to eat her salad.

David followed Emma into the bathroom and got her bath running. "I'm going to go get your pajamas, Emma. Wait for Mommy or me to come back before you get in."

"Okay Daddy," Emma said with a nod of her head.

Oncer her Daddy left, Emma got an idea. If she put the bubbles into the tub before her Mommy and Daddy came back, maybe they would let her keep them. Emma knew they told her no, but they wouldn't get mad at her. She really wanted her bubbles. She wasn't telling the truth when she said she didn't want them earlier. She loved to have them all the time. They smelled like strawberries and were so fun to play with. Emma very quietly went over to the cupboard where they kept the bubbles. She picked them up from their spot and walked over to the tub. She carefully unscrewed the lid and slowly dumped the pink soap into the water. Her Mommy showed her just how much to put in and Emma was very good at it. Emma quickly put the bubble bath back into the cupboard. She went back to watch the bubbles in the tub and got a grin on her face as they started to grow.

"Emma," Snow said in a very shocked voice when she walked into the bathroom to find the tub filling up with bubbles.

"What Mommy?" Emma said as she quickly turned around.

"What did you do?" Snow asked with a raise of her eyebrows.

"I just put a little bubbles in," Emma said innocently as she looked up at her Mommy.

"You weren't suppose to have bubbles in your bath tonight."

"But I really wanted them, Momma," Emma said as she gave her mommy a pouty face.

"Let's just get you in the tub," Snow said with a sigh. She was too tired. She wasn't about to drain the whole tub and refill it just to get rid of the bubbles.

"Okay, Mommy," Emma said with a grin as she climbed into the tub. She had gotten away with it. She knew her mommy wouldn't get mad at her and now she gets to play with bubbles.

"You let her have bubbles?" Charming whispered to Snow as he came back with Emma's pajamas.

"No, she put them in while we weren't in here," Snow told him.

"She's a sneaky one that's for sure," David said as he shook his head. "I can finish up here, why don't you go relax."

"Thank you," Snow said with a smile as she gave her husband a kiss and left the room.

"Let's wash your hair, Em," David said as he walked over to the bathtub and grabbed the pitcher they used to rinse Emma's hair.

"I want to do it," Emma said as she reached out to take the pitcher from her daddy.

"Okay," David said as he gave it to Emma.

"She filled it up with water and dumped it onto her head getting her hair wet all over. She got the shampoo and rubbed it all over her head making bubbles in her hair. She used her mommy's shampoo this time. Her mommy's hair always smelled so good and Emma wanted to try it.

"How about you let me rinse the shampoo out. I don't want you to get it in your eyes," David told her.

"Daddy I can do it," Emma whined.

"Emma, Mommy's shampoo might burn your eyes," David warned her.

"No, it won't. I'm a big girl, Daddy. I can do it myself," Emma told him.

"Okay, just be careful," David said as he watched Emma fill up the pitcher and dump it directly on her head…soap falling straight down her face and definitely into her eyes.

"Ow, ow," Emma cried as she quickly stood up. "I need a towel Daddy."

"I've got it," Charming said as he gently wiped Emma's eyes with the towel he had ready in his lap. "Better?"

"Yeah," Emma said as she blinked her eyes a few times to make sure all the soap was gone.

"Okay, sit back down before you slip and hurt yourself," David said as he held onto Emma's arm until she was safely sitting down again. "Now, can I finish getting all of the shampoo out of your hair?"

"Yes, Daddy," Emma said as she held out the pitcher to him.

"Alright, look up at the sky princess," David said as he gently poured the water onto her hair…not getting a single drop on her face.

"Daddy, I don't want those jammies," Emma said as she stood in the bathroom wrapped in her fluffy towel.

"Emma…" David said with a sigh.

"Please, Daddy," Emma said as she looked up at him, giving him the eyes.

"Well which ones do you want then?" David asked.

"My blue ones with the puppy," Emma told him.

"Okay, I'll be right back," David said as he took the yellow nightgown he had picked and left to get the blue puppy ones Emma requested.

"Thanks Daddy," Emma said with a smile as she wrapped her towel tighter around her.

"Okay, time for bed, Em," Snow said once she finished brushing Emma's hair. She hoped Emma wouldn't object. This was a normal nightly routine…dinner, bath, and bed. It was just happening a little later than usual. Snow knew she probably wasn't going to get that lucky though. That very long evening nap was definitely going to throw off their nice little schedule.

"No, it's not Mommy," Emma said as she turned and gave her Mommy a very confused look. "I just woke up, silly."

"But, it's past bedtime, look," Snow said as she pointed to the clock. Emma was starting to tell time a little bit. She definitely knew when bedtime was.

"But, I'm not tired," Emma said as tears started to well up in her eyes. She was confused. The clock did say it was past her bedtime, but she wasn't sleepy yet. She was always at least a little bit sleepy at bedtime.

"Oh sweetie, it's okay," Snow said as she scooped Emma up into her arms. She hated seeing her get upset. "We can stay up a little longer. You took a late nap today, that's why you're not tired yet."

"Okay," Emma said with a sniffle. Now, she understood why she wasn't sleepy yet. She was glad her mommy was letting her stay up longer.

"How about you teach me how to play Go Fish?" Charming said as he held up the deck of cards. Emma had been telling him for awhile now that she would teach him how to play.

"Yeah!" Emma said as she hopped off of her Mommy's lap and over to her Daddy. "You can be on my team. Okay, Daddy? I'll teach you."

"Okay, princess," David said with a smile as he picked Emma up and carried her over to the table. "You think we can beat Mommy?"

"Mhmm," Emma said with a grin.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Snow said with a wink as she sat down next to her husband and daughter.

"You have to hold our cards close so Mommy doesn't see them," Emma told David. She was sitting on his lap. Emma thought it would be best for her and her Daddy to share cards for the first couple of rounds until he learned how to play all by himself.

"Yeah, Charming. Keep them close," Snow told him with a grin as she pretended to peek at his cards.

"Look, Daddy. We already have one match. You put that down first like this," Emma said as she took their pair of fives and placed them onto the table.

"Okay, Em. Now what do we do," he asked.

"Ask Mommy for this one," Emma said as she pointed to a card.

"Do you have any tens, Snow?" Charming asked.

"Go Fish," Snow said as she smiled up at him.

"That means she doesn't have any and we have to pick a new card from the pile," Emma told him.

"Got it," David told her as he reached across the table and picked up a new card. "Oh look Em, another eight. Can we put that match down too?" David asked.

"Uh huh, you're good at this Daddy," Emma told him very seriously.

"Yeah Daddy, I'm impressed," Snow told him.

David smiled and continued the rest of the game. With Emma's help, they were able to beat Snow at the first round of Go Fish. They played a few more. Emma was certain that after the second round her daddy was ready to play by himself. Everyone had their own set of cards for the rest of the games.

"Momma, I'm hungry," Emma said after they finished their last round.

Snow sighed as she looked at the clock. It was just after 10 and Emma didn't even look remotely tired yet. Snow got an idea though. "How about I make some popcorn and we watch a movie?"

"Yeah, I'll go pick it out," Emma said as she ran into the living room to look through her options.

"Hoping this movie will help her fall asleep? David asked as he followed Snow into the kitchen.

"That's the plan," Snow said with a yawn.

"I can stay up with her if you want to go to bed. I know you had a long day," David said as he wrapped his arms around her while they waited for the popcorn to be done.

"That's okay," Snow said as she shook her head. "I don't want to miss these moments."

"Alright, I'm going to go see which movie our little one has selected," David said as he gave Snow a kiss.

"Think you'll be able to get the VCR to work this time," Snow asked with a grin as she thought back to when they first showed Charming what exactly a VCR was.

"Yes, I think I have that all figured out now," David said as he grinned back.

By the time Snow had the popcorn ready, Emma and David were already on the couch and had the movie started.

"Here, Momma…share our blanky," Emma said as she sat on her daddy's lap and held up part of the blanket for her mommy.

"Thanks Em," Snow said as she sat down on the couch and leaned into her husband, who wrapped his arms around her.

Emma only ate a little bit of the popcorn and Snow hoped that meant she was getting tired and would fall asleep soon. However, Emma managed to stay awake until about the last ten minutes of the movie. It was after midnight and Snow and Charming were both grateful to finally find their little girl fast asleep. They carried her up to her bed and tucked her in tight, both hoping that she would sleep in the next morning.


	22. Chapter 22

_Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter for you! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! Enjoy :)_

 **Chapter 22**

Snow could hear it…little footsteps coming down the stairs. Emma was awake. She glanced at the clock and found that it read 6:30. She wasn't too surprised that Emma decided not to sleep in this morning. Snow just closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, maybe Emma was just coming down to sleep with her mommy and daddy for a little longer. Snow felt Emma climb up onto the bed and sit right in the middle. Snow could tell Emma was staring at her.

"Momma, are you awake?" Emma whispered as she gave her mommy a little poke on the cheek.

Snow couldn't help but smile, she kept her eyes closed though.

"You are awake. I saw you smile," Emma said with a little laugh.

"No, I'm sleeping," Snow whispered.

"Momma. Open your eyes," Emma said as she placed her little hands on her mommy's cheeks.

Emma smiled when her mommy finally opened her eyes.

"How about you lay with Mommy and sleep for a little bit longer. I'm really sleepy," Snow told Emma as she reached out her arms for her.

Emma thought about it for a second. "Okay, Mommy. I'll lay with you," Emma said as she laid down and snuggled close to her. Emma started to feel sleepy again as her mommy wrapped her arms around her and gently began stroking her hair. Emma always felt sleepy when her mommy played with her hair.

Within five minutes, Emma was back to sleep and Snow was relieved. She looked over at her husband, who had slept through the whole thing, then closed her eyes to get some more rest before they started their day.

Emma rolled over and reached out her arm, but she didn't feel her mommy next to her. She turned over and opened her eyes to find her daddy's side of the bed empty too. Emma sat up and crossed her arms…they both woke up without her.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Emma called out from her spot on the bed.

"Hey, look who's awake," David said as he came into the room.

"You and mommy left me," Emma said with a grumpy look on her face.

"Em, we just got up. We've been right out here the whole time," David told her.

"But you got up before we could have our Saturday snuggles in bed," Emma said as she stuck out her lip.

"What's going on in here," Snow said as she came into the room and stood next to her husband.

"Well, apparently we forgot to have Saturday morning snuggles in bed with Emma this morning," David told her.

Snow looked over at Emma who promptly nodded her head at her mommy.

Snow couldn't help but smile. Emma slept in her own bed most of the time, but she had been visiting their bed on weekends lately. Snow wasn't aware that weekend morning snuggles had become a routine for Emma.

"Well I think we can fix that," Snow said as she gave her husband a wink. They both climbed back into bed, pulling Emma close and tickling her little belly.

"No…no…no," Emma said in between her little laughs. She wiggled and wiggled until she was safely under the covers and her mommy and daddy couldn't reach her anymore.

"What's the matter, Em?" David asked as he peeked under the covers at his little girl.

"I wanted snuggles, not tickles," Emma told him.

"Oh I'm sorry. Will you come out and snuggle with us?" he asked.

"No tickling?" Emma asked with a raise of her eyebrows.

"Nope," David promised her.

"Mommy?" Emma asked, making sure her mommy promised not to tickle her either if she came out from the covers.

"No tickling," Snow said as she held up her hands.

"Okay," Emma said as she scrambled out from underneath the covers and tackled her daddy down onto the bed.

"Whoa, you got me," David said with a laugh as he pulled Emma close for a hug.

"You didn't even know I came into the bed this morning, did you Daddy?" Emma asked as she lifted her head up and let out a little giggle.

"No I didn't," David told her.

"That's because this little one decided to wake me up instead," Snow said as she laid down next to her husband, who wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close too.

"You're easier to wake up, Momma," Emma said with a smile as she laid her head down in her daddy's chest.

"I know, you're daddy sleeps like a rock," Snow told Emma with a wink.

"And he snores," Emma whispered.

"I do not," David said.

Emma and Snow started to laugh. "Yes you do," they both told him.

"But it's okay, Daddy. It's not that loud," Emma added as she gave him a pat on the head.

"Thanks Emma," David said with smile.

"Okay, I'm hungry now," Emma said as she sat up. "Can we eat breakfast?"

"That's all the snuggles we get?" Snow asked.

"Uh huh," Emma said as she jumped down from the bed and pulled her daddy's arm. "Come on daddy. I want waffles."

"Okay, okay. I'm coming," David said as he hopped out of the bed and scooped Emma up in his arms as they went to the kitchen.

Emma had her yummy waffles and she was very happy. Her daddy even let her put some chocolate chips inside them. She talked them into playing Go Fish again, Emma didn't win every time, but that was okay. She wasn't a sore loser…most of the time. Now, Emma was looking through the closet for something else they could all play with together. She got really excited when she found a brand new box of sidewalk chalk.

"Mommy, mommy. Look what I found," Emma said as she ran up to Snow.

"Slow down, Em," Snow said as she held out her arms to prevent Emma from crashing right into her. "What did you find?"

"It's the chalk we bought at the store," Emma said as she held it up to show her.

"Oh I forgot we had that," Snow said.

"Can we go play with it right now?" Emma asked as she practically jumped up and down.

"Let's get you dressed first," Snow told Emma, who was still in her pajamas.

"No, Mommy. I'll just go in this," Emma said as she walked over to where her shoes were.

"Emma…"

Emma just ignored her mommy and started to put on her shoes. She really wanted to go outside right now. She didn't want to go upstairs and put her clothes on first. That would take too long. Emma wanted to go play right now.

"Emma, why are you putting your shoes on?" Snow asked. "I said you have to change first."

"But I already have them on Mommy, let's go," Emma said as she stood up from the floor.

"Emma, you have to put some real clothes on first," Snow told her firmly.

"No," Emma said as she stomped her foot and glared up at her mommy.

"Emma!" Snow said, a little shocked that Emma was being so defiant right now.

"I want to go now," Emma demanded as she crossed her arms.

"What's going on out here?" David asked as he carried out a basket of clean laundry. He thought he heard some foot stomping and was pretty sure he was right when he saw Emma.

"I want to go outside and play chalk, Daddy," Emma whined.

"Well what did your mother tell you?" David asked.

"She won't let me go," Emma said as she gave her daddy a pouty look…maybe he would let her go outside without changing her clothes.

"Emma, why won't mommy let you go?" David asked.

"Because she's not being very nice," Emma mumbled.

"Emma…" Snow said as she raised her eyebrows at her little girl.

"Emma, were you asked to do something before you can go outside," David knew Snow would have wanted Emma properly dressed before she went out and figured that's what this was all about.

"Yes…" Emma said quietly.

"And what was that?" David asked.

"To get dressed," Emma told him.

"Okay, get dressed. Then we can go outside."

"But I don't want to, my pajamas are comfy," Emma whined.

"Emma…"

"No! I want these on," Emma said.

"Here, Emma. I have clean clothes right here," Snow said as she quickly picked an outfit out of the laundry basket Charming was holding. She didn't want Emma to get even more upset and hoped she would agree to change since the clothes were right here. "Please put these on real quick, then we can go. Okay?"

"Fine," Emma said with a sigh as she sat down to take her shoes off. She stood back up, took the clothes from her mommy and walked towards the bathroom to change.

"Do you need help?" Snow asked.

"No, I can do it myself," Emma said.

"What's gotten into her today?" Charming asked as soon as Emma shut the door.

"She clearly didn't get enough sleep last night," Snow said with a sigh. She hoped this behavior wouldn't last all day. There were probably going to have to force her to take a nap at some point today which was not going to be fun.

"Well this should be an interesting day," David said with a laugh.

Snow smiled and turned to her husband. "Are you going to come play chalk with us, Daddy?"

"But of course. I wouldn't want to miss that," Charming said with a smile as he leaned in to give his wife a kiss.

"Mommy, I can't get my jeans buttoned," Emma whined in frustration as she came out of the bathroom.

"Here, let me help you," Snow said with a grin. She knew Emma was going to need help with those.

"Now can we go?" Emma asked when her mommy was done.

"Yes, let's go," Snow said as she followed Emma towards the door.

"I'll be right out," Charming told them as he went to put the laundry away.

Emma was so excited to finally get to play with her chalk. Her mommy drew squares for hopscotch and showed Emma and her daddy how to play. Emma watched her mommy and daddy do it, and they were really good at hopping along the squares. Emma had a little trouble. Sometimes when she had to hop on only one leg she wobbled and fell over. This was a really fun game though and Emma loved it. She also drew lots of pretty pictures and the sidewalk was starting to look very beautiful.

"Look Daddy, that's you," Emma told him excitedly as she pointed to the picture.

"Oh I look so handsome, Em," Charming said with a smile.

"Yeah Daddy, and I made you really strong see," Emma said as she pointed to the muscles she drew. "And you have a sword too."

"I see that. Where did you learn to draw so well?" he asked.

"I don't know," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Mommy that's you."

"Wow, look at my pretty dress," Snow said as she kneeled down and wrapped her arms around her little girl.

"Guess who the other one is," Emma said as she turned to her mommy and smiled.

"Hmmm…I bet that little princess is you," Snow guessed.

"Uh, huh," Emma said as she turned around and wrapped her arms around her mommy's neck. "And I have a pretty princess crown too! Isn't she beautiful?"

"I think you are very beautiful," Snow said as she stood up with Emma in her arms.

"Both of my girls are beautiful," Charming said as he wrapped his arms around his girls and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"Daddy, can we go have lunch?" Emma asked. "I'm hungry."

"Sure Em. Let's clean up the chalk first," David said.

"No, I don't want to," Emma said.

"Emma, go help daddy," Snow said as went to put Emma down.

"No, I want to stay with you," Emma said as she clung to her mommy.

"Come on, Em. You're going to make me clean this up all by myself?" David asked giving Emma a pouty face.

"My belly is too hungry to help," Emma said with a grin as she laid her head on her mommy's shoulder.

"It's alright. I'll do it," David said. He didn't mind. It would take all of ten seconds to pick up the chalk.

"Emma…" Snow said as she looked down at her manipulative little girl…she was totally playing her daddy and it was working.

Emma didn't look up and just kept her head down. She knew she should be helping her daddy, but she didn't want to and she knew they wouldn't make her.

"Well, what should we make for lunch then?" Snow asked her.

"I want to go to Granny's," Emma told her as she lifted her head.

"How about we just eat at home today, Em," Snow said.

"No," Emma said as she shook her head.

"But we have so much yummy food in the house. I just went to the store," Snow told her.

"I want Granny's," Emma whined.

Snow looked up at Charming who had finished picking up the chalk and had heard the conversation. They tried to decide whether or not it would be a good idea to take Emma to Granny's. They knew Emma was in a mood today because of her lack of sleep. Could they trust that she would be good while they were there? She was pretty good while they played with chalk, so maybe she would be okay.

"Alright, Em. We can go," Snow said.

"I'll run up and get the keys and put the chalk away," David said.

They arrived at Granny's and placed their orders. Emma got her grilled cheese and onion rings. Her mommy made her pick one fruit and one vegetable too. Emma didn't like that, but she did it anyway. She picked carrots and applesauce, but when her plate came there was broccoli on it. Red told them that they were out of carrots, so she gave Emma some broccoli instead.

"I'm not eating that," Emma said as she crossed her arms and glared at her plate.

"Emma, I've seen you eat broccoli before," David told her.

"I don't like it," Emma told him. She had eaten a few bites before, but that was just because she wanted dessert, not because she actually liked that yucky green stuff.

"Just eat your other food first," Snow suggested.

"No, the broccoli is touching my sandwich," Emma whined.

"Emma…" David said as he raised his eyebrows at her.

"Here, I'll move it," Snow said as she scraped the broccoli onto a separate plate.

"No, the broccoli already touched it," Emma said as she pushed her plate away, causing it to crash into her daddy's plate on the other side of the table.

"Emma, now that's enough," David scolded as he gently slid her plate back to her side of the table.

"I don't want it now. I want a new one," Emma demanded.

"You're not getting a new one, Emma. This is all you're getting," Snow told her firmly.

"No," Emma said as she pushed that plate again, trying to make it fall on the floor so it would get dirty…then she really couldn't eat it. She couldn't eat food that was on the floor.

"Emma!" David said as he quickly stopped the plate from crashing to the floor.

Emma was not happy. Her daddy wasn't suppose to catch the plate. It was suppose to fall on the floor so she could get a new sandwich. She didn't want to sit here anymore. She was leaving. She quickly got up from her seat and stomped over to the door. She quickly stopped and remember that she wasn't allowed to go outside without an adult, so she just turned around and sat on the floor. She pulled her legs to her chest and buried her face in her arms. Maybe if she sat here long enough, they would give her what she wanted.

Snow and Charming looked at each other…shocked at how their daughter had just acted. They knew she was a little off today because she went to bed so late last night and really didn't sleep in all that much this morning, but that was no excuse. This behavior was unacceptable.

"Snow…" Charming started to say.

"I know," Snow said, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "We have to do something about this."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 _Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you! hateme101 wanted to see Granny's reaction, so I added that in :) Remember, I could always use some ideas, so if there is anything you all want to see in this story, please just let me know…keeping in mind that this story is mainly just a fluff story about the Charmings :) I hope you like it! Enjoy :)_

"Hey there you two. Where's Emma?" Granny asked Snow and Charming as she approached their booth. It had been a few days since she's seen the little princess. She looked up to see a very grumpy looking little girl pouting by the front door. "Oh…is everything alright?"

"Fine," Snow said with a sigh, embarrassed by her daughter's actions.

"She doesn't like broccoli," Charming answered as he watched Emma, not exactly sure how to handle the situation.

"Well I can bring her something else," Granny offered.

"No. Thank you," Snow told her as she shook her head. She wasn't exactly sure what she should do, but she knew giving into Emma's little tantrum wasn't the way to go.

"Could you just get us a few to go containers?" David asked, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Of course," Granny said with a nod of her head.

"Granny, wait…any advice?" Snow asked with a hopeful smile. Emma hadn't thrown a tantrum like this before. She was always such a good girl. The only times she ever did throw any kind of fit like this there was a reason. Not being able to make her mommy remember or wake her daddy, not wanting to go to school because she was afraid of being separated from them again….those were all understandable. This though…there was no reason for it. She was just being stubborn. There was no need to get to the root of any problem. Emma was just testing them, and now they had to step up to the plate and show her they weren't going to put up with it…but how?

"Just be firm with her," Granny told her as she thought back on how she use to handle things with Red. "She has to learn that there are limits, and she can't just walk all over you."

"Thank you," Snow said as she looked over to her husband. "Walk all over us…I think that's all our little one has been doing these last few days."

"I know," David said with a sigh. "I hadn't realized but…"

They both thought back to Emma's behavior…not eating her vegetables, putting bubbles in the bathtub when she was told not to, arguing about when to get dressed or what to wear, and just over all not doing what she was told. It wasn't entirely her fault. It all had been so subtle Snow and Charming really didn't notice. It all just seemed so trivial to argue about and easier to just give in to avoid making her upset. It was all adding up now though. Emma was starting to think she could get whatever she wanted. They wanted that for Emma, they wanted to give her everything she could ever dream of, but they also didn't want her throwing tantrums every time things didn't go her way. That's not the way life worked, sometimes you don't get what you want. It's a parents' job to teach their kids these lessons in life. Now, Snow and Charming were going to have to do this with Emma.

Emma looked up and saw her mommy and daddy talking to Granny. She knew they were probably asking Granny to bring her a new sandwich. Emma smiled, she knew her mommy and daddy would get her what she wanted…they always did. She just decided to put her head down and wait here until they came over and told her themselves.

"Come on Emma, let's go," Snow said as she held out her hand.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked when she saw her mommy carrying her purse and her daddy holding to-go bags. She was confused.

"Home," David told her with a raise of his eyebrows.

He sounded mad…Emma didn't like that. "But I'm hungry," Emma complained.

"You can finish your lunch at home," Snow said as she pulled her daughter up from the ground and held her hand as they walked out the door.

This was not going the way Emma had planned. Maybe her new sandwich was in the bag? But Emma had a bad feeling in her tummy. Her mommy and daddy did not seem to be very happy with her.

"Are you still hungry, Emma?" David asked as they walked into the loft.

"Yes, Daddy," Emma said.

"Go sit at the table, then," David said as he and Snow followed her and set out the food they were all suppose to have eaten and the diner.

"What's this?" Emma asked as she looked at the grilled cheese and broccoli sitting in front of her. This looked like the same sandwich from before. Where was her new one?

"That's your sandwich, Emma. Please eat it," Snow told her.

"But I wanted a different sandwich. I don't like broccoli," Emma whined.

"Emma, this is perfectly good food. You are not going to waste it," Charming told her.

It wouldn't have been perfectly good if her daddy had just let her push it onto the floor… "I don't want it," Emma said as she crossed her arms.

"This is the only lunch you're getting, Emma," Snow told her firmly.

"I'm not eating it," Emma grumbled.

"If you're all done then it's time for your nap," David told her.

"I don't need a nap," Emma said. She never took naps…well unless she accidentally fell asleep, but her mommy and daddy never made her take one.

"You were up very late last night. You're going to need a nap today," Snow told her.

"No," Emma said as she shook her head.

"So, you have a choice. Eat your lunch, then nap or straight to your nap," David said.

"I don't want that sandwich," Emma said as she pushed it away.

"Nap it is then," Snow said as she got up from her chair and picked Emma up from her seat. "Tell Daddy goodnight, Em."

"No! I don't want a nap!" Emma screamed as she shook her head.

"Do you want me to…" Charming started to ask.

"No, I've got this," Snow told him with a smile. They both didn't need to be up there. She would let him take the next tantrum.

"Momma I don't want a nap!" Emma shouted as her mommy placed her on the bed.

"Emma, please don't shout at me," Snow said calmly as she sat down on the bed next to her.

"But I don't want to sleep!" Emma shouted once more, tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

Snow's heart started to break. She hated seeing Emma like this. She didn't like it when her baby girl cried, but she had to be strong. This is what Emma needed right now, she may not want a nap, but it was for the best. Snow just had to keep telling herself that.

"Emma, please lay down," Snow said as she gently tried to get Emma to lie back.

"No! I'm not tired!" Emma yelled.

"You are sweetie. You need to take a little rest," Snow told her, still trying to remain calm.

"I don't want to!" Emma screamed as she shook her head and started to kick her legs.

"Emma, that is enough." Snow scolded as she held onto Emma's legs. "Now lay down."

Her mommy's voice made her stop almost immediately. Her mommy was not happy. "But Momma…I don't…want…to…." Emma said in between her sobs as she slowly started to lay down.

"That's my girl," Snow said as she started to brushed some of the hair from Emma's face.

"No…Momma," Emma said as she pushed her mommy's hand away. She would lay down, but she didn't want her mommy to touch her.

"Alright, I'll just sit here until you fall asleep," Snow said as she covered Emma with her blankets.

"Oh…kay," Emma said with a sniffle as she rolled over and snuggled her baby blanket close.

Snow sighed and just sat back waiting for Emma to fall asleep. She let a few tears fall from her eyes. This was harder than she thought. Emma's little hand pushing her away like that made Snow feel awful. She wanted to scoop her baby girl up right then and there and say she was so sorry for everything, but knew she couldn't.

After a few minutes, Snow could hear the light snores coming from her little one. She quietly got up and went downstairs. She filled Charming in on everything that happened. They both enjoyed their lunch and a little quiet time, hoping that when she awoke, Emma would be in a better mood.

They heard the little footsteps…ones that made a thud as she got down from her bed and ran towards the stairs. They listened as their princess made her way down the stairs. Snow and Charming looked at each other, both knowing that Emma had not gotten enough sleep…barely an hour. They just hoped it would be enough to get her out of the mood that she had been in. They still had to have a discussion with her and that would be much easier if she wasn't grumpy.

"Hi Princess," Charming said as he greeted Emma, who came down the stairs carrying her blanket.

"Hi," Emma said in a very unpleasant tone as she walked past them and towards the living room.

Charming gave his wife a look. They both knew Emma's nap had not lasted long enough. Oh well, they would just have to deal with it.

"What are you doing sweetie?" Snow asked as she walked over to Emma.

"I just want to color," Emma said as she pulled out her coloring books and crayons. She set them on the coffee table and started to color a picture.

"Okay," Snow said as she left her to color. She looked up at her husband, and they both decided to give Emma a little while to wake up before they had that discussion with her. Maybe the coloring would help mellow her out a little bit. When she was finished they would have that talk.

Emma finished her picture and decided that she was done coloring. She wanted to build a puzzle now. She knew she should clean up her crayons before she got out her puzzles, but she didn't want to. She was still mad at her mommy and daddy for making her take a nap. She decided to just leave the mess.

"Emma, what are you doing?" David asked.

"I want to play with my puzzles now," Emma told him.

"Emma, you know the rules. Clean up your crayons first," Snow told her.

"I don't want to," Emma said as she continued to walk to the cupboard where her puzzles were.

"Emma, crayons first, then Mommy and I need to talk to you," Charming told her as he blocked her path to the puzzles.

"I don't want to clean them up and I don't want to talk to you," Emma said as she crossed her arms.

"Now," Charming said as he pointed his finger towards the mess of crayons she left on the table.

"No, Daddy!" Emma shouted as she stomped her foot.

Charming raised his eyebrows at her…a little taken aback by her shouting. She had been doing it all day, but it still surprised him that she was being so defiant.

"Emma…" Snow started to say.

"I've got this," Charming told his wife and she gave him an encouraging smile.

Emma didn't hear what her daddy said, but she just continued to look up at him, giving him a very grumpy face. She didn't want to clean up the crayons. She didn't want to listen to him. As she looked at him though, she kind of got a nervous feeling in her tummy. He looked pretty grumpy too and Emma realized she was probably going to be in trouble.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 _Hey everyone! I'm so so sorry it took me this long to get another chapter posted! I've actually had this chapter done for about a week, but I wanted to wait until that glitch where people weren't receiving alerts got fixed. I think it's fixed now though! I posted another chapter to my story "The Other Daughter" last week (that's when I realized the alerts weren't working). So, if you follow that story, there is a new chapter! If you haven't checked it out, you totally should! ;) As always, if you have any ideas for me feel free to ask! I hope you like the chapter! Enjoy :)_

Emma didn't want to get in trouble, but she really didn't feel like cleaning up her crayons either. She knew what to do to get her daddy to do what she wanted…

Emma stuck out her lip and turned on the charm in her eyes as she looked up at him. "Daddy, please…I don't want to."

Charming almost gave in right there, but he knew he couldn't. He and Snow had to start being a little firmer with Emma. She was starting to walk all over them. "Emma, I need you to clean up your crayons please, then have a seat on the couch so Mommy and I can talk to you."

Emma just shook her head and crossed her arms. Her plan didn't work, but she still wasn't going to give in just yet.

"Alright then," Charming said as he promptly picked Emma up and placed her on the chair in the living room. "You can sit here until you are ready to listen."

"Daddy, no!" Emma shouted from her seat, but he just walked away from her. He wasn't listening, so she hopped down from the chair and followed him.

David turned around when he heard footsteps behind him. "Emma, are you going to clean up your crayons?"

"I don't want to," Emma whined.

"Then go sit back down," he warned.

Emma just stood with her arms crossed again and stared him down.

Without saying a word, David picked Emma up and placed her back onto the chair. Emma kept getting down, and he knew he was going to have to put her back several times before she finally realized he wasn't going to give in so easily.

Emma got up from her chair lots of times, but her daddy would pick her back up and make her sit in the chair again. She tried shouting at him. She tried kicking her feet. She tried everything she could think of, but he would just keep putting her back. He didn't even say anything to her. Emma decided to just give up. She sat in the chair and started to cry. She didn't know how long he was going to leave her here.

After about two minutes, Emma cried herself out. She was now laying in the chair watching her mommy and daddy. They were sitting at the table talking to each other. Emma wanted to go talk to them too, but she knew if she got up her daddy would just put her back again. Emma laid on the chair for what felt like hours, really it had only been another three minutes, before her daddy came back.

"Hi Daddy," Emma said as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Hi, Emma. Do you know why Daddy put you in time out?"

"Yes. I wouldn't clean up my crayons. I'm sorry, Daddy," Emma said as she looked down.

"I forgive you princess," David said as he pulled Emma into his arms. "Are you ready to clean up your crayons now?"

"Uh, huh," Emma said with a nod of her head.

"That's my girl," David said as he put her down.

Emma did as she was asked and cleaned up all of her crayons and coloring books. She put them away neatly into the cupboard. Then she walked over to where her mommy was sitting at the table and held her arms up to her.

"Hi, baby," Snow said as she picked Emma up and snuggled her close.

"Emma, Mommy and I need to talk to you," David said as he sat down at the table.

"Okay," Emma said as she sat up and turned around on her mommy's lap.

"Can you tell us what happened at Granny's today?" David asked.

Emma sighed. "I wouldn't eat my lunch and I yelled and I pushed my plate."

"Is that how you're suppose to act when you don't get your way?" Snow asked, looking down at her little girl.

"No," Emma answered quietly. She knew what she did was wrong.

"What about when I took you upstairs for your nap today?"

"I kicked and yelled at you," Emma looked up at her mommy with a sad face. "I'm sorry Momma."

"I know little one. I forgive you," Snow said as she turned Emma around and gave her a hug. "You need to remember to listen to mommy and daddy, okay?"

"Okay," Emma nodded her head, still leaning into her mommy's hug.

"And if you get upset, what should you do instead?" David asked her.

"Use my words and not yell."

"Good girl," David said as tuck some of Emma's hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"I'm really sorry," Emma said as a few tears fell down her face.

"We know baby. It's all forgiven," David said, wiping her tears away.

"You're not mad at me?"

"No sweetie, we're not mad," Snow said as she tightened her arms around her.

"Okay," Emma said with a sniffle.

"We love you, Emma," David told her.

"I love you too," Emma said. She sat with her mommy for a little while longer before looking up. "Can I build my puzzles now?" Emma asked her quietly.

"Sure, sweetie. Go ahead and get them," Snow said as she put Emma down.

Emma went over to the cupboard and got all five of her puzzles. She wanted to build them all. She ran back to her mommy and daddy. She handed the puzzles to her mommy and climbed onto her daddy's lap.

"Will you help me?" Emma asked them. She could build all of these puzzles by herself, but she wanted her mommy and daddy to build them with her.

"Of course we will," David answered.

"Let's do this one first," Emma said as she picked up the ladybug puzzle and dumped the pieces onto the table.

"Remember, Em, let's try to find all of the corners first," Snow told her.

"Okay, mommy," Emma said with a nod of her head.

They finished the first one in a few minutes. Emma pushed the completed lady bug puzzle to the side and reached for another box.

"I love the teddy bears," Emma said with a smile as she sorted through the puzzle pieces. This puzzle had all different colored teddy bears and Emma just thought it was so pretty.

"This one is my favorite," David said when they started on the puzzle with a knight and a horse.

"I know Daddy, you tell me that every time," Emma said with a giggle.

They finished David's favorite and put together the last two. The rubber ducky puzzle was easy, but the gum-ball machine puzzle was a little harder. That puzzle had more pieces than the rest, but they were still able to put it together within a few minutes.

"We did it!" Emma exclaimed as she sat up to look at all of her pretty puzzles.

"I think we might have to get you some new ones. These puzzles are getting to be too easy for you," Snow said.

"Can we go right now?" Emma asked as she bounced up and down.

"Maybe tomorrow," Snow told her.

"Okay," Emma said with a nod of her head. "Daddy, my belly is really hungry. I'm ready to eat my sandwich and broccoli now."

David looked up at his wife. They were both surprised to hear Emma say that. She must have known they were serious about making her finish the food from Granny's.

"Okay, Em. I'll heat it up for you," He placed Emma on Snow's lap and retrieved Emma's leftovers from the fridge. He heated them up for her. He got her a glass of milk too. Emma sat on her mommy's lap and ate everything on her plate.

David and Snow made eye contact and smiled. They knew children Emma's age would throw tantrums and have off days like today. This wasn't her first, and it most definitely wasn't going to be her last. That was part of being a kid. Snow and David knew it was their job to teach Emma how to react in situations when she is mad or upset. She wasn't going to be perfect. Even adults had trouble dealing with their emotions at times. Emma was a good girl though. Snow and Charming were very proud of her. They were proud of themselves too, they felt they handled todays tantrums pretty well. They even got Emma to finally eat her grilled cheese and broccoli. Getting this little girl to eat any green vegetable was a milestone in itself!


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

 _Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you! Also, how about that finale?! I wasn't sure how I felt about season 7, but after that ending…Wow! I'm totally excited for next season! I'm definitely going to miss everyone that's leaving, but I'm holding onto hope that the writers can pull it off! What did you all think? Anyway…I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy :)_

Emma sat straight up in her bed. She didn't know what made her wake up, but her tummy did not feel very good right now. She grabbed her blanket, crawled out of bed, and made her way downstairs. She wanted her mommy and daddy. She knew they would make her feel better.

"Emma, what is it sweetie?" Snow asked sleepily when she saw Emma coming into the room. She had heard Emma coming down the stairs and sat up to see what was wrong. Emma didn't usually get up in the night.

Emma held her tummy and walked over to her mommy's side of the bed. "Momma, I don't feel…" Emma started to say before getting sick all over the floor.

"Oh baby," Snow said as she quickly got out of bed and scooped Emma up in her arms, avoiding the mess on the floor.

"What happened?" David asked as he sat up quickly in bed after hearing the commotion.

"Emma's sick," Snow told him.

"Aww princess, what's the matter?" Charming asked. He was by her side in an instant. He looked down to see the mess on the floor. He looked back up at Emma and saw tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Emma said as she started to cry. "Please don't be mad at me."

"Oh no, Emma. We're not mad. It was an accident, baby. You can't help that you're sick," Snow told her. She rubbed Emma's back to help calm her down.

"Daddy will get this mess all cleaned up, Em. No worries," David told her. He gave her a kiss on the top of her head and went to get some towels.

"Come on, little one, let's go get you cleaned up," Snow said as she took Emma into the bathroom.

Snow put her hand to Emma's head to feel for a fever. She was warm. She looked Emma over to see if she had gotten anything on herself or in her hair when she got sick. Luckily, Emma was clean, but her blanket was another story.

"Here, Emma. Mommy needs to take your blanket," Snow said as she carefully took the blanket from Emma's hands.

Emma looked down and noticed what happened to her blanket. "Momma…my blanket," Emma said as the tears started to fall again.

"It's okay, it's okay. We'll put it in the washing machine and get it all cleaned up, I promise," Snow assured her.

"But it won't smell the same if you wash it," Emma said as she started to cry harder.

Snow, sighed. She still hadn't been able to convince Emma to let her wash this blanket. Emma was afraid that it wouldn't smell the same if it was washed. Once Snow got her memories back, she told Emma that her blanket was extra special and would absolutely smell the same after it was washed. She and Charming had Blue put a spell on it before Emma was born, so the blanket would always smell just like them. That way Emma would always have a part of them with her. Snow explained this to Emma multiple times, but she still would never let her or Charming wash it. It may have a magic spell to protect the scent, but it still got dirty from time to time and needed to be washed. They never pushed the issue though, it never really got too dirty since it mostly lived in Emma's bed. The blanket would definitely need to be put through the wash now though. There was no way around it.

"Emma don't you remember what Mommy and Daddy told you about your blanket?"

Emma slowly nodded her head. "Momma, I didn't want to get sick on my blanket though," Emma sniffled.

"I know. We'll have it all cleaned up in no time, okay?"

"Okay," Emma said as she laid her head down on her mommy's shoulder.

Snow put the blanket down and reached for the medicine cabinet. She pulled out the thermometer and the Tylenol and carried Emma back to the bedroom.

"Alright, you lay in Mommy's spot," Snow said as she went to put Emma down.

Emma clung to her mommy's shirt and locked her legs around her waist. "No Momma. I want you to hold me."

"Okay, sweetie." Snow sat down on the bed with Emma in her lap and covered her with a blanket to keep her warm. "Can you open your mouth for me, so I can take your temperature?"

Emma slowly nodded her head and opened her mouth.

"That's my girl," Snow said. She put the thermometer in Emma's mouth and held her close as they waited for it to beep.

David came into the room and sat on the bed next to Snow and Emma. He set a glass of water on the nightstand, figuring Emma would have a fever and want it after taking her medicine. "Hey, princess."

Emma looked over at her daddy. She gave him a small smile around the thermometer in her mouth and waved her little hand at him.

David gently brushed his hand along her head to feel for a fever. She definitely had one. David sighed and gave his little girl a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, babe. Let's take your medicine," Snow said after removing the thermometer and finding Emma had a pretty high fever like she suspected.

"Momma, no," Emma groaned as she rubbed her eyes. She could barely keep them open.

"I know it's yucky honey, but it's going to make you feel better," Snow told her. "Sit up for Mommy."

"Okay," Emma whimpered as she tried to sit up. She felt her daddy put his hand on her back to help her. Emma slowly opened her mouth and let her mommy feed her the yucky purple syrup.

"Here, Em. Do you want some water?" David offered once Emma had all of her medicine down.

Emma nodded her head and took a few sips of the water her daddy gave her.

"Good job, Emma," Snow said, as she gave Emma a kiss on the top of her head. "Why don't you go with Daddy so I can clean your blanket, okay?"

"Okay," Emma said as she turned and reached for her Daddy.

Emma snuggled into her daddy and watched her mommy leave the room. "Daddy, I don't want to be sick," Emma said as she looked up at him, a few tears escaping her eyes.

"I know baby. I'm sorry," David said as he wiped the tears away. He laid down with Emma still in his arms and pulled the blanket up around her. "Why don't you close your eyes and try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," Emma said as she laid her head on his chest and slowly closed her eyes.

Emma opened her eyes and saw her mommy smiling down at her.

"Hi little one," Snow said as she brushed the hair out of Emma's face. She could still feel the warmth from the fever.

"Hi Mommy," Emma said as she rubbed her eyes and reached her arms up for her.

"How are you feeling?" Snow said as she picked Emma up and held her on her lap, wrapping the blankets back around her.

"My tummy still hurts," Emma complained.

"I'm sorry, baby," Snow said as she rubbed Emma's stomach gently. Emma had gotten sick again a few hours after the first time, luckily they made it to the bathroom that time though.

"I thought I heard somebody awake in here," David said as he came into the room. "Look what I have for you!" David said as he held up Emma's perfectly clean blanket.

"Thank you Daddy," Emma said as she reached out to take it from him. Emma snuggled it close and breathed in the scent. "Momma you were right, it smells the same."

"I told you it would," Snow told her with a wink.

David left and came back into the room with a tray of food. He and Snow were going to see if they could get Emma to eat a little soup and maybe some crackers.

"Daddy, I'm not hungry," Emma said, looking away from the food. It made her tummy feel bad when she looked at it.

"How about we take your temperature first?" Snow suggested.

"Okay," Emma said. She opened her mouth for her mommy and waited.

"It hasn't come down," Snow whispered to Charming, worry filling her voice.

Charming gave his wife a reassuring smile. "Okay, Em. Let's take your medicine."

"Daddy, I don't want it," Emma complained as she turned her head into her mommy and covered it with her blanket.

"Come on, Emma," Snow said as she rubbed her back, trying to coax her out.

"Just drink it really fast. I have your water right here for you," David tried. Emma still wouldn't come out.

"Come on little one," Snow said as she pulled the blanket from Emma's face and sat her up gently. "You're not going to get better if you don't take it."

"Fine," Emma said as she stuck out her lip. She watched her daddy move the little cup of medicine towards her, and she slowly opened her mouth. She drank it and quickly reached out for her water. She took a few small sips and gave it back to her daddy.

"How about we try to eat something, now," Snow said as she brought a spoonful of soup towards Emma's mouth.

"No, Mommy," Emma said as she pushed the spoon away.

"Emma…" Snow said as the contents of the spoon spilled onto the floor. Charming was quick with the towel and wiped it up.

"I didn't want it Momma," Emma said as she started to cry. She didn't mean to make her mommy spill it.

"You need to eat a little something, sweetie," Snow tried again.

"But…it'll make…me…sick again" Emma said in between her sobs as she shook her head.

"It's okay princess, calm down," David said as he sat down on the bed and gently rubbed her back.

Emma was trying to stop crying, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to eat anything. She knew it would make her sick again, and she did not want to throw up anymore. She just wanted her tummy to feel better. She didn't like being sick. She continued to snuggle into her mommy while her daddy was rubbing her back. She liked that, it was making her feel a little better. She sat up after a few minutes and looked up at them.

Snow and Charming's hearts broke for their little girl. Her pale face and little tear stained cheeks made them feel awful. They didn't know what else to do. They didn't want to force her to eat, but she needed a little something in her stomach or she would just get worse.

"Can we go watch a movie?" Emma asked quietly. Hoping they would forget the food and let her do what she wanted since she was sick.

"I'll make you a deal," Charming said. "If you eat a few bites of your soup we can go watch a movie."

Emma sighed. Well that plan didn't work. She looked over at the soup. She thought maybe she could eat a couple bites. She was afraid she would get sick again, but maybe she wouldn't if she only ate a little bit.

"Okay," Emma agreed.

She took a few bites and her daddy let her watch a movie just like he said he would. Emma sat on the couch with her mommy and daddy on either side of her. She had her blanket and one of her mommy's warm quilts to keep her warm. She snuggled in and waited for the movie to start.

Much to their surprise Emma made it through the first movie without falling asleep. She then convinced Snow and Charming to let her watch another one. Snow looked down about a half an hour into the second movie and noticed Emma's eyes starting to droop. She grabbed the pillow that was beside her, placed it in her lap, and tried shifting Emma so she would be laying down instead of sitting up like she was now.

"No, Mommy," Emma said once she realized what her mommy was trying to do. "I can't see the movie if I lay like that."

"Alright," Snow said with a sigh, allowing Emma to stay sitting as she was.

"Come here, Em," David said as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. This caused Emma to rest her head on his chest. He looked up at his wife, giving her a wink.

Snow couldn't help but smile at her handsome and very sneaky husband. He got Emma to lay her head down with actually laying all the way down. His little plan worked. Emma was out like a light within minutes. Snow and Charming weren't too far behind her.

"Momma…" Emma moaned.

Snow sat up quickly. She looked up and saw the credits rolling on the TV. Then, she looked towards Emma. She knew that look. Emma was going to be sick again.

"Come on, sweetie," Snow said as she scooped Emma up into her arms and rushed to the bathroom.

David wasn't far behind her. He and Snow gently rubbed Emma's back, comforting her until she was done.

David carried Emma back to their bed, while Snow got a cool cloth for Emma's head and fetched her blanket from the couch.

"It's okay, princess," David said as he laid Emma down and pulled the covers all around her.

"Here you go, baby," Snow said as she gave Emma her blanket.

Emma gave her mommy a grumpy look as she took her blanket from her. She looked over to her daddy, giving him the same look.

"I told you that food would make me sick," Emma said with a sniffle.

"We're sorry you got sick again, babe," Snow told her.

"Here, let's check your temperature again," David said as he held the thermometer to her mouth.

"No, I don't want to," Emma groaned as she pushed it away and snuggled lower onto the bed. Every time they took her temperature, she had to take more medicine. She didn't want to take anymore of that yucky stuff.

"Come on, Em. Open your mouth for Daddy." David tried moving the thermometer towards her mouth once more.

Emma turned her face away and pulled her blanket over her mouth.

Snow looked up at her husband and sighed. Emma was obviously going to put up a fight. They knew they at least needed to get some medicine in her. They didn't need the thermometer to know she had a fever. They hoped they could get Emma to take her medicine willingly, but they were ready just in case it needed to be done the hard way. Charming gave Snow a nod and she gently took Emma's blanket away.

"Momma, no," Emma cried as she reached out for her blanket.

"Emma, we won't take your temperature, but you at least need to take more medicine," David told her as he poured some from the bottle and into the little cup.

"Daddy, no," Emma whined.

"Open up, Em," David said as he moved the medicine towards her.

Emma just clamped her mouth shut and stared him down.

"Emma, please sweetie," Snow said with a sigh. "I know it doesn't taste good, but it's going to help."

Emma just shook her head. It was not helping. She already took some, and she was still getting sick.

"Emma, you are taking this medicine. We can do this the easy way or the hard way," David told her with a raise of his eyebrows.

Emma frowned as she looked up at her daddy. She looked over to her mommy, who nodded her head. Emma crossed her arms and scooted farther away from her daddy and that yucky medicine. She was _not_ going to take it.

"Alright…" Snow said as she took the cup of medicine from her husband and reached it out towards Emma.

Emma swatted her hand, trying to knock the cup away. Snow was too quick this time and easily moved it away without letting it spill.

"Emma…" David warned.

"I'm not taking it. You can't make me. I don't want it!" Emma shouted as she kicked her legs and waved her arms about, trying the make her mommy drop the medicine.

"Emma, honey. Stop," David said as he took her in his arms and gently held her so she could no longer move her arms and legs.

"Daddy, no! Stop! Let me…" Emma started to shout, but before she could finish she tasted that yucky medicine in her mouth. Emma closed her mouth and glared at her mommy. She wanted to spit this gross grape stuff right at her.

"Don't you dare spit that out Emma," Snow told her in a no-nonsense tone.

Emma frowned as tears started to form in her eyes. She swallowed the medicine and then started to cry. She didn't want to be sick anymore. She hated this. Why couldn't she just get better?

"It's okay, Emma. It's okay. It's all done," David told her as she loosened his grip and gently rubbed her arm.

"Here you go baby," Snow said, giving Emma her blanket back. She brushed the hair from Emma's face and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

Emma snuggled her blanket and continued to cry in her daddy's arms. After a few minutes, she cried herself out and was asleep again. David carefully laid her down onto the bed. Snow placed the cool cloth on Emma's forehead, hoping it would help bring her fever down.

She only slept for about an hour after her little tantrum over the medicine. They tried getting her to eat when she woke up, but she wouldn't. She had refused to eat even a bite since those few spoonfuls of soup. Snow and Charming tried everything they could think of to get her to eat. She slept on and off throughout the rest of the evening and got sick one other time. They had to fight her when it was time to take her medicine again and could barely get her to take even a few sips of water. Her fever hadn't come down much either. She didn't seem to be getting any better.

"Charming, what are we going to do?" Snow asked in a hushed tone. Their little girl was still really sick and Snow was getting worried.

"I don't know Snow. Let's just see how she is when she wakes up," he said as he wrapped his arms around his wife. He was just as worried as she was.

They didn't want Emma to get dehydrated and become even sicker. They knew they would need to take her to the hospital if her fever wasn't broken by the time she was awake. They also knew Emma would not be happy about going there, but they might not have a choice.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

 _Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all of the reviews! They make me smile :) :) I hope you all like this chapter! Also, if anyone has any ideas for me, feel free to ask! Enjoy :)_

When Emma finally woke the next morning, she still wasn't any better. Her fever hadn't come down at all, and they couldn't get her to eat or drink anything. Snow and Charming decided that they needed to take her to the hospital. Snow packed a bag and David went to get Emma ready.

"Hey princess," David said as he gently brushed the hair from her face. She had fallen asleep again while they were taking her temperature.

"Daddy?" Emma said as she slowly opened her eyes.

David lifted her up into his arms "Come on, Em. We're going to go get your coat on."

"Okay, Daddy," Emma said. She was confused. Were they going outside to play? She didn't feel like she was better yet. Her tummy still hurt and she was a little bit cold. She just wanted to go lay back down under the warm blankets.

David sat down in the chair with Emma on his lap and put her coat on. She was still half asleep and barely noticed what he was doing. David decided to put her shoes on too, not that she would be walking at all, he just didn't want her feet to get cold. Snow came back into the room with a bag full of stuff they might need. She wasn't sure if they would be staying at the hospital or not, but she packed some things just in case.

"Let's put this on her too," Snow said as she put a hat on Emma's head. It wasn't too cold outside, but she wasn't going to take any chances. Snow checked the bag once more, just to be sure she had everything before they left.

"Daddy, where are we going?" Emma asked just as David was about to put her into the car.

"We're going to take you to see the doctor, sweetie," he told her.

Emma's eyes shot right open, and she lifted her head. "No, no…I don't want to!"

"Emma, it's okay," David assured her after seeing the scared look in her eyes. "We need to get you better."

"I am better. I promise! Please, I don't want to go!" Emma begged.

"We know little one. Daddy and I will be with you the whole time though. I promise," Snow told her.

"No, no, I don't like it there" Emma said as she shook her head.

"It's going to be okay, Em," David said as he went to put Emma into her seat.

"No, Daddy!" Emma shouted. She started to kick her legs and squirm her little body as much as she could. She did not want to go to the doctors!

"Emma, honey. Calm down," David said as he easily put Emma into her seat and buckled her. She was so weak from being sick, that her attempts at keeping herself out of the booster seat didn't amount to much.

Emma looked down and realized she was already in her seat. How did her daddy do that? Emma reached her hand down to find the buckle. She was going to get herself out of here.

Snow climbed into the backseat with Emma. "No, no, Em," she said, gently moving Emma's hand away from the buckle and holding it in her own.

"Momma…" Emma cried. Why were they doing this to her? She didn't want to go.

"Here, sweetie, take this," Snow said as she gave Emma her blanket, hoping it would help calm her down.

Emma snuggled into her blanket. She started to relax a little bit and quickly fell back to sleep again. Once they arrived, David picked Emma up out of her seat and was thankful that she hadn't woken. He put his arm around Snow, and they walked inside. Snow had called Dr. Whale before they came, so he was ready for them. He took them into the exam room. Emma began to stir a bit when David started to take off her coat and hat.

Emma slowly opened her eyes. She looked around and knew exactly where she was. She saw the table with the crinkly white paper, that thing that looks inside your ears, and Dr. Whale. Emma did not like him. She just turned around and clung to her daddy, burying her face in his shirt.

"Hi, Emma. Can I take a look at you?" Dr. Whale asked in the friendliest voice he could.

Emma just ignored him and held tight to her daddy.

"Emma, honey, can you turn around for Dr. Whale?" Snow tried.

Emma didn't budge.

"Come on, Em," David said as he attempted to pry her hands from around his neck.

"Daddy, no," Emma said as she clung on even tighter.

"I'll be really quick, Emma," Dr. Whale promised her.

"Let's just turn you around, baby," David said as he finally pulled Emma away and turned her around so she was sitting on his lap.

"No, no, no…" Emma cried out as she tried to turn back around again.

"Emma, Daddy, is right here," David said as he put his arms around her, letting her know that he wasn't going anywhere. "You can stay right here on my lap the whole time."

"You can hold my hand too, if you want," Snow told her.

"Oh…kay," Emma said as she reached out her little hand to her mommy and leaned back against her daddy.

Emma did everything Dr. Whale asked. She opened her mouth when he wanted to check her throat. She took deep breaths when he wanted to listen to her lungs, and she sat still while he looked inside her ears and took her temperature.

"All done, Em," Snow told her with a wink.

"Good job, princess," David said as she turned her back around and held her close.

"I'm going to go talk to Dr. Whale for a minute. I'll be right back," Snow said as she gave Emma a kiss on the cheek. Emma nodded her head and laid down on her daddy's shoulder. She closed her eyes. She was feeling really sleepy.

When Emma opened her eyes again, she was in a different room. She lifted her head and saw her daddy smiling at her.

"Daddy, where are we?" Emma asked.

"We're in your hospital room, Em."

"I have to stay here?" Emma asked as she looked around. They were sitting on a bed now, and the room looked just like the one she stayed in when she first came to Storybrooke.

"Just for a little bit sweetie. Dr. Whale just wants to make sure you get all better," David said as he wrapped his arms tighter around her. He could see the worried look on her little face.

"Where's Mommy?"

"She's out in the hallway talking to the nurse. She should be back any…" David started to say just as Snow walked back into the room. "There she is!"

"Momma!" Emma said with a smile. She was glad her mommy was back now.

"Hi baby," Snow said as she came over and gave Emma a kiss on the top of her head.

Snow glanced up and gave her husband a look, letting him know that the nurse would be back in just a few minutes to get Emma started on an IV. They knew this might have been a possibility when they came in, since they hadn't been able to get any fluids in her for almost a whole day. Dr. Whale told Snow that he wanted to put Emma on an IV drip for awhile to rehydrate her system. David nodded his head, knowing exactly what was going to happen. They both knew Emma wasn't going to take this well. David never experienced Emma getting a shot first hand, but from what Snow told him, she did not like needles one bit.

"Emma, can Mommy see you for a minute?" Snow asked with a smile.

"Uh huh," Emma said as she raised her arms towards her mommy.

Snow lifted Emma from David's lap and into her arms. David stood up from the bed, allowing Snow to sit with Emma. Snow turned Emma around, so that she was facing her and lifted her chin.

"Emma, Mommy has to tell you something, and I need you to be really brave for me, okay?" Snow said.

"Okay," Emma said quietly. She got a little scared about what her mommy was going to say.

"Emma, do you know what an IV is?" Snow asked.

Emma nodded her head. She knew what that was. She had one before. It was kind of like a shot, but it was worse because they left the needle inside of you for a long time.

"You know the IV gives you special medicine to make you feel better, right?" Snow continued.

Emma just nodded her head again. She didn't like where her mommy was going with this.

"Okay, well you need some of that special medicine to make you feel better."

"But I don't need an IV, right?" Emma's voice cracked. She was really scared. She didn't want one of those.

"Well, honey, you do need one. The nurse will be back soon to…" Snow started to say.

"No! No! Please Momma I don't want it," Emma said as she shook her head.

"I know, baby, but it's going to make you all better," Snow said.

"I'll drink my other medicine like a big girl. I won't spit it out anymore!" Emma said in a panic. She hated that yucky medicine, but that would be better than getting an IV.

"That medicine isn't strong enough anymore, Em," David said as he gently rubbed her back, trying to keep her calm.

"But Daddy, I…" Emma started to say when she heard the door open. She looked up and saw the nurse walking inside. "No, no…Mommy please!" Emma begged as she tried to get as far away from the nurse as she possible could.

"Emma…" Snow tried to wrangle her squirming little girl. "Emma, honey, just relax it's okay." Snow finally managed to get Emma turned around on her lap. She wasn't sitting still just yet, but Snow had a firm grip on her.

"Daddy, please don't make me," Emma said as she desperately looked up at him for help, still trying to get herself free from her mommy's arms.

"Emma, listen to me," David said as he knelt down in front of her. "You are going to be fine. I know you're scared, but Mommy and I are right here."

"But it's gonna hurt, Daddy," Emma said with a sniffle.

"You're right, Em. It will, but just for a second. I promise. Do you think you can be a brave girl for me?" he asked.

Emma slowly nodded her head and finally sat still on her mommy's lap. "Momma, I'll try really hard to get better all by myself. I don't need it," Emma said as she looked up at her mommy.

Snow's heart broke as she looked at Emma's sad little face. "Oh, I know you'll try really hard, baby, but you just need a little help from the medicine, okay?" Snow said as she gave her a kiss, then looked up at the nurse, letting her know they were ready for her.

"Hi Emma," the nurse said with a smile as she knelt down beside the scared little girl. "I'm really good at this, and I'll be super fast, okay?"

Emma just nodded her head and leaned back against her mommy some more.

"Okay, on the count of three, are you ready?" the nurse said.

"No," Emma whined as she shook her head. She sat still though.

"Here, Em, you can squeeze my hand," David said as he held it out to her.

The nurse started to count. "Daddy…" Emma said in a panic as she quickly reached out for his hand and held on tight. Emma closed her eyes as the nurse said two. Next was three and…Emma let out a little whimper as she felt the needle go into her arm, but then it was all over. It didn't hurt anymore. Emma slowly opened her eyes. She saw the needle still in her arm, but she couldn't really feel it at all.

"You did it, big girl!" Snow said, giving Emma a hug.

"Good job, princess," David said as he gave Emma a kiss on her forehead.

Emma gave a shy smile and snuggled into her mommy. She did do it, and it really wasn't even that bad after all. Maybe next time she wouldn't be so scared. She really hoped there wasn't a next time though.

"How about you lay down and get some rest," Snow said as she set Emma down onto the bed and covered her up with her blanket.

Emma nodded her head and slowly closed her eyes. She was a little sleepy…maybe she could take a little nap. Just before she fell asleep, her eyes shot back open as a thought occurred to her. "You're going to stay here with me, right?"

"Of course we are," David told her.

"You promise?" Emma asked.

"Emma, we promise. We're not going anywhere," Snow assured her.

"Okay," Emma said as a yawn escaped her mouth. She closed her eyes once more and drifted off to sleep.

Emma slept on and off the rest of the day and straight through the night. Her fever was practically gone, and she hadn't gotten sick at all. Snow and Charming were relieved that she was doing so much better.

"Momma, it's gone!" Emma said when she woke up the next day to find her IV missing.

"Yeah, baby, they took it out while you were sleeping this morning," Snow said with a smile as she got up from her chair and went to sit beside Emma on the bed.

"Does that mean I'm all better?" Emma asked.

"It sure does," Snow said as she held her close.

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

Snow was so glad to hear Emma say that. "Well, your daddy should be back any minute with breakfast," Snow said just as David walked into the room.

"Daddy!" Emma said as she practically jumped up and down on the bed.

"Somebody seems to be feeling better," David said with a smile as he walked over to Emma.

"I am Daddy. Did you bring me some food?" Emma asked.

"I sure did. How about some chocolate chip pancakes?" David said as he pulled a Granny's to go container from the bag. "I got you another surprise too," he continued as he set Emma's food out in front of her.

"What is it?" Emma asked with excitement.

"Let me see if I can find it in here," David said as he looked through the bag. "Here they are!" David held up two new puzzles.

"Thank you Daddy! Mommy, look! You said I needed new puzzles remember…Mommy?" Emma looked up to see her mommy running into the bathroom. Emma shrugged her shoulders. She probably just had to go potty really bad. She could show her the puzzles when she came back.

Snow emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, looking a little pale.

"Are you alright?" David asked her quietly, so Emma wouldn't overhear. He could tell by the look on her face that she had just gotten sick in there.

"Fine," Snow said as she shook her head. "I think I may have just caught a touch of what Emma had."

"Do you need to go home. I can…" David started to say.

"I'll be fine, Charming," Snow assured him. She wasn't going to make a fuss over it. Emma would be discharged soon anyways, and they would all be able to go home. "Show me what Daddy got you, Em."

"Look Mommy, more puzzles. They're so pretty. This one looks just like the beach and this one has ice cream cones!"

"Wow, Emma. Those are very beautiful," Snow told her.

"Can we build them when I'm done eating?"

"Of course we can!"

"Daddy, will you help too?" Emma asked.

"Absolutely, princess," David said with a smile as he sat down next to her. He looked up and gave his wife a wink. They had done it. They got Emma through this, just as they do everything…together. They were both so happy, and they would build as many puzzles as their little girl wanted.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

 _I have to say, you guys are good guessers lol This story needed a little change, and I think this one will be fun! I hope you like the chapter! Enjoy :)_

"Mommy, are you sick?" Emma asked as her mommy walked out of the bathroom.

Snow couldn't help but smile. Emma's hands were on her hips, and she had a very serious expression on her face. "No, sweetie. I'm not sick."

"But I could hear you in there," Emma said as she pointed to the bathroom. She knew her mommy got sick. "You're not suppose to tell lies, Momma."

"Emma, my tummy was just a little upset. It just didn't like what I had for breakfast," Snow told her, which wasn't a lie. No matter what she ate for breakfast these last few weeks, it just came back up. Snow knew the problem wasn't the food though.

Emma just gave her mommy a questioning look, she still wasn't sure if she believed her.

Snow sighed. "Come here little one," Snow said as she scooped Emma up into her arms. She took Emma's hand and placed it on her forehead. "Does mommy feel hot to you?"

Emma moved her hand around on her mommy's forehead for a few seconds, trying to decide. "No," Emma said as she shook her head. Her mommy felt normal.

"See? I don't have a fever. I'm just fine," Snow told her with a wink.

"Okay, but maybe we should still take it easy today just in case. No playing outside or running around," Emma told her.

"Okay, Em," Snow said with a laugh. "What do you suggest we do today then while Daddy is at work?"

"Let's paint him lots of pictures!" Emma said as she wiggled down from her mommy's arms and went to get her paints and some paper.

They got started and spent the next several hours painting all kinds of pictures. Once they dried, Emma insisted on taping them all around the loft. She told her mommy she wanted to make it look pretty. Snow got her some tape and helped her hang up all of the pictures.

David came back after work to a newly decorated home. There were Emma paintings put up all over the loft. Some looked like Snow's artwork too.

"Wow! This place looks beautiful," David said as he looked around.

Emma just giggled and ran up to him. "Surprise Daddy!"

"Did you do all of this for me?" David said as he knelt down and gave her a hug.

"Yeah! Mommy and I made you lots of pictures! Right, Mommy?"

"Yes, Emma and I worked very hard all day" Snow said as she came up and wrapped her arms around her husband.

David gave his wife a kiss. "I love them!"

"Come on Daddy, let me show you!" Emma said as she held onto his hand. She took him all around the loft and showed him all of the pictures they made.

They had some dinner and enjoyed the rest of their evening together. They played a few of Emma's games, then watched a movie. David had bought Emma a new movie after work, and they watched that while eating some popcorn. Emma fell asleep right before the end. David carried her upstairs and tucked her into bed. Then he went back downstairs with Snow to get some sleep himself.

Snow could not sleep tonight for some reason. She had been just laying in bed for hours. She listened to her husband's soft snores next to her. Those weren't what kept her awake though. She was use to them. Snow didn't know what was keeping her from sleeping tonight, but she decided to go upstairs and check on her little one. She did this often. She loved watching her baby girl sleep.

Snow made her way upstairs and sat down on the bed next to Emma, who was clutching her baby blanket in her hands like always. Snow smiled as she brushed Emma's wild hair from her face. She bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Snow continued to run her fingers gently through Emma's hair. She winced and pulled her hand back quickly when Emma started to stir. _Shoot._ Snow didn't want to wake her.

"Momma?" Emma asked as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey baby, just go back to sleep, okay?" Snow told her.

"Is it morning?" Emma asked sleepily.

"No, it's still nighttime."

"Why are you up here?" Emma asked.

"I just wanted to check on you. I missed you," Snow said with a smile.

"Momma you're silly," Emma said as she gave her a little smile in return. Her mommy just saw her right before bedtime, why did she miss her already?

"I know I am," Snow said with a laugh.

"But I missed you and daddy too," Emma told her with a grin.

"Do you want to come sleep with us?" Snow whispered to her.

"Uh huh," Emma said as she reached her arms up to her mommy.

Snow lifted her baby girl up into her arms and carried her downstairs. She placed Emma in the middle of the bed and laid down next to her.

"Mommy, Daddy isn't snoring," Emma told her. Usually her daddy was always snoring.

"You're right. We should probably go to sleep before he starts again," Snow told her with a wink.

"Oh yeah we should," Emma said with a giggle.

"Goodnight, Em. I love you," Snow said as she gave her daughter a kiss.

"I love you too," Emma said as she closed her eyes and snuggled into her mommy.

Snow held her daughter close and started to fall asleep herself. She hadn't meant to wake Emma when she went upstairs, but this turned out to be pretty nice. Sometimes this was just what Snow needed. She knew she would sleep peacefully the rest of the night with her baby girl by her side.

Emma opened her eyes the next morning. Her mommy was still sleeping, but her daddy's side of the bed was empty. Emma very quietly crawled out of bed and went to find him. She spotted him sitting at the table reading the paper. She quickly ran over to him.

"Hi, princess," David said when he heard little footsteps coming towards him. He put down his newspaper and was ready to catch her in his arms.

"Hi, Daddy," Emma said as she leapt into his arms and laid her head down on his shoulder, wrapping her little arms around his neck.

David held her tight. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh huh," Emma said as she nodded her head.

"Good," David said as he gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

Emma sat up and looked at her daddy. "I'm hungry. Can we make breakfast?"

"Of course we can. What should we make today?"

"Hmmm," Emma said as she thought about it for a minute. "Maybe french toast?" They hadn't made that in a long time.

"Oh, I love french toast," David said as he stood up and carried Emma towards the kitchen.

"Let's make it a surprise for Mommy when she wakes up," Emma said with a smile.

"I think that's a perfect idea," David told her with a wink. "Do you know what we need to make it?"

"Yes," Emma said with a nod of her head. "We need bread, milk, eggs, and cinnamon…"

"Maybe some vanilla too?" David asked.

"Yeah!"

"Why don't you get the eggs and milk from the fridge and I'll get the other stuff," David said as he put her down.

"Okay, Daddy," Emma said as she went to the fridge. Emma looked inside and found what she needed. She put the eggs and milk on the counter, then went back to close the door. She spotted the bacon. "Daddy let's make this too!" Emma said as she took it over to him.

"Good idea, Em," David said as he took it from her.

Emma found some strawberries in the fridge too. She loved those. "Oh Daddy, can we have these too?"

"Of course, princess," David told her with a smile.

Emma set those on the counter too, and went to get a stool. She pushed it over by her daddy so she could reach and help him make the breakfast.

"Do you want to crack the eggs, Em?" David asked her.

"Uh huh," Emma said as she chose an egg from the carton.

"Very carefully," David told her.

"I know Daddy," Emma said as she concentrated very hard on cracking the egg without getting any shells in it. "One more?" Emma asked after she successfully cracked the first one."

"Yeah, that should be good," David told her.

Emma cracked another one, and there was not a stray piece of shell to be found.

"You're good at that, Em. Here pour the milk in now," David said as he handed her the measuring cup filled with milk.

Emma poured it in, added some cinnamon and vanilla, then stirred it all together.

"Now, we get to dip the bread in!" Emma said with a smile. This was her favorite part because her hands got all messy.

"Here you go," David said as he handed her a piece of bread.

Emma dipped the slices into the egg mixture, and then gave the pieces to her daddy. He placed them on the skillet to cook.

"Okay, I think that should be enough. Why don't you wash your hands now," David told her.

"Okay Daddy," Emma said as she scooted her stool to the sink and cleaned the eggs off of her hands.

David cooked up the bacon and let Emma help him cut the strawberries. Then, David poured orange juice into some glasses while Emma set the table.

"Daddy, can we go get Mommy now?" Emma asked once everything was perfect.

"Yeah, go get her," David said with a grin.

Snow could hear her little one coming to get her. She had actually been awake for awhile and heard them making her breakfast. She pretended to be asleep though so Emma could surprise her.

Emma tiptoed into the room and carefully climbed onto the bed and crawled over next to her mommy.

"Momma…" Emma said as she rubbed her little hand along her mommy's cheek. "It's time to wake up."

Snow slowly opened her eyes and smiled up at her baby girl. "Well, good morning!"

"Hi, Mommy!" Emma said with a smile and she bounced on the bed. She was so excited. "Daddy and I have a surprise for you!"

"You do?" Snow said, pretending she didn't know what they were up to. "Well, something sure does smell good."

"Come see Momma," Emma said as she climbed down onto the floor and pulled her mommy's hand.

"Okay," Snow said as she got out of bed and let Emma lead her out from the bedroom.

"Close your eyes!" Emma told her.

"Alright," Snow said as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Emma led her mommy to the table. "Okay, open your eyes now!"

"Wow!" Snow said when she saw the table in front of her. "Did you make all of this for me?"

"Yeah! Daddy helped too!" Emma said as she jumped up and down with excitement.

"Thank you so much, Em," Snow said, giving her little girl a hug. "Thank you too, Daddy," Snow said as she gave her husband a kiss.

"This was all Emma's idea," David told her with a smile.

"This is the best surprise ever," Snow told her.

Emma just smiled up at her mommy. She was so happy that she liked it. They all sat down at the table and enjoyed their breakfast. Once they were about done Snow looked up at her husband. They had a quick silent conversation and decided now was as good a time as any to tell Emma the news. They were a little worried about how she might take, but she needed to know eventually. It was better to do it sooner, rather than later.

"Emma, Daddy and I have something very important to tell you," Snow said as she pulled Emma onto her lap.

"Okay, Mommy," Emma said as she looked up and gave her mommy a smile.

 _So, how do you think Emma is going to react to the news? :) :)_


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

 _Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you! Enjoy :)_

Emma sat on her mommy's lap and wondered what they were going to tell her. Maybe they were going to take her to the beach today or to the toy store! Emma loved to go there. Or maybe they were going to go ride the horses? She asked her mommy and daddy before if they could go and they said yes, but they didn't take her yet. Maybe that was it. "What is it? Tell me! Tell me!" Emma asked as she bounced up and down on her mommy's lap.

"Well, Emma…Mommy is going to have a baby," Snow said. She looked up at her husband with a smile, relieved to have finally told her. When she looked back down at Emma and saw the look on her little girl's face, Snow wasn't so relieved anymore.

Emma's heart sunk when she heard what her mommy just said. They weren't taking her to the beach. They weren't taking her to the toy store. She wasn't getting to finally ride the horses. Her mommy was having a baby and Emma knew what that meant.

"Emma, what is it honey?" David asked her. He too saw Emma's excitement instantly disappear when they told her the news.

Emma just looked up at her daddy as tears started to form in her eyes. She quickly turned and jumped off of her mommy's lap. She ran as fast as she could up the stairs and into her bedroom.

"Emma!" David said as he stood from his seat wanting to follow her.

"David, wait," Snow said, putting a hand on his chest to stop him. "Let's just give her a few minutes." Snow had a feeling Emma might react this way. She knew Emma might need some time to herself to process what they just told her.

Emma crawled onto her bed and looked around for her blanket, but remembered it was downstairs because she slept in her mommy and daddy's bed last night. That only made Emma cry even more. She crawled under the covers and pulled them up over her head. Why did her mommy and daddy want to have another baby? Wasn't she good enough for them? Emma knew what happened when mommy's and daddy's had other babies. They gave their old ones away. That's what happened before. Emma lived with a family until she was three. They had their own baby and gave her back. Sure, they weren't her real parents, but at the time Emma didn't know that. Up until the night they gave her away she thought they were. Emma was so glad that she finally found her real mommy and daddy, but she didn't know why they didn't want her anymore. Why did they want a different baby? Emma tried to be a good girl. She really did. Emma just laid under the blankets and let her tears fall down her cheeks. She couldn't understand why this was happening.

Snow and David waited no more than five minutes before going upstairs to check on Emma. When they walked into her room, they spotted a little lump on Emma's bed. They could hear her little cries beneath the sheets. Their hearts broke for their little girl. They thought she might have some questions or maybe be a little upset about the news, but they never imagined she would get this worked up about it. They had no idea what was going through her little mind.

"Hey little one. Can I see you," Snow said as she sat down on the bed and pulled back the covers.

Emma felt her mommy take the blankets off of her. She slowly turned around and rubbed her eyes with her little hand. She looked up at her mommy, who was smiling down at her.

"There's my girl," Snow said as she brushed the hair from Emma's face. It made Snow sad to see the red in her eyes and the fresh tears on her cheeks.

"Hi, Princess," David said with a smile as he too sat down on the bed next to her. "I brought this for you." He held out Emma's blanket to her.

Emma slowly reached up for it and snuggled it close. She was confused. Why were they being so nice to her if they were just going to have another baby and give her away?

"Emma, can you talk to us?" Snow asked her.

"Tell us what's bothering you Em," David said as she pulled her onto his lap. "You don't want Mommy to have another baby?"

Emma just shook her head.

"Why not?" David asked.

"Can't you just give it back?" Emma asked as she looked up at her mommy. If they gave the baby back, then she would get to stay and everything would be fine.

"I can't do that, sweetie," Snow told her.

"But I'll be good I promise, please!" Emma begged.

Snow wasn't sure what Emma meant by that. "Emma, no honey that's not…"

"Just give it back Momma! You have to!" Emma shouted.

"Emma, calm down," David told her gently. He wasn't sure either where Emma's little mind was taking her.

"I won't be bad or get sick anymore! I won't! Please!" Emma said, somewhere in between a scream and a cry. She was getting herself so worked up over this.

"You are not bad, Emma. Why do you think that, sweetie?" Snow asked her, trying to understand.

"B-because you're having a-another baby and you're going to…give me…away!" Emma shouted in between her sobs.

"No, Emma. No, that's not what's going to happen. Not at all," David said as he turned her around and held her close.

Emma wrapped her arms around her daddy, laid her head down on his shoulder and continued to cry. She heard him say they weren't going to give her back, but she didn't believe him.

Snow looked into her husband's eyes as she suddenly realized what must be going through Emma's head. She knew about the family that had given Emma back. Snow read about it in her file when she first took Emma in to live with her. She remembered feeling so sad that Emma had to go through something like that. She was so young, but it obviously had made a huge impact on her. David knew about it too, Snow told him everything shortly after Emma had woken him from the coma. Snow and David didn't know how they could have missed it. Of course Emma would feel this way. That family kept her until they had a baby of their own, then they gave her away. In Emma's little mind that's what happened when mommies and daddies had new babies…the older ones were sent away. Emma didn't know any different. Well, they would make sure Emma knew that they would never be sending her back no matter how many more children they had.

After a few minutes, Emma cried herself out and slowly lifted her head. She looked up at her daddy, then over to her mommy. "You really aren't going to give me away?" Emma asked with a sniffle.

"We are never going to give you away, Emma," Snow told her.

"But…but, that's what happens when…" Emma started to say.

"No, Em. That just happened to you with those other people. It's not going to happen again," David told her.

"Really?" Emma asked them again just to make sure. "I get to stay with you too?"

"You bet little one. You will be with Mommy and Daddy forever! And you get to be a big sister," Snow told her with a smile.

"I do?" Emma asked with a little grin. She did think babies were very cute.

"You bet!" David said. "You get to be mommy and daddy's helper!"

Emma smiled as she looked into their eyes. They were telling her the truth. They really weren't going to give her away. Her mommy and daddy were going to keep her _and_ the new baby. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"What kind of stuff do I get to help with?" Emma asked.

"Oh all kinds of stuff," Snow told her with a smile. "You can play with the baby, help us give the baby a bath, read stories to him or her."

"I'm a very good reader," Emma said proudly.

"Yes, you are little one," Snow said with a laugh.

"Daddy will let you change all the dirty diapers too, Em," David said as he tickled her belly.

"Ew, Daddy no. I don't want to do that," Emma said as she shook her head. That would be so gross.

"We'll just save them for Mommy then," David whispered in to her ear, causing Emma to giggle.

"I heard that," Snow said with a raise of her eyebrows.

"Mommy, Daddy is just teasing you," Emma told her.

"I know he is," Snow said, giving her a wink. She pulled Emma into her lap. "We need to talk though, Em. I don't want you to ever think that this baby will replace you."

"Mommy and Daddy will always love you no matter what, okay?" David added.

"This baby is not going to change that. You will always be our baby too," Snow said as she squeezed Emma tight and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Emma let out a little laugh. "Mommy, I'm not a baby."

"But you are _my_ baby. No matter how big you get," Snow told her with a wink.

"Okay, Mommy," Emma said with a smile as she snuggled into her.

"Do you have anymore questions, Em?" David asked her.

"Yeah…" Emma said as she sat up and gave them both a very serious look. "The baby is in your tummy, right?" Emma couldn't tell if there was a baby in her mommy's tummy right now, but maybe it was just too small. Emma was a big girl though, and she knew things. She was pretty sure the baby was in there somewhere.

"Yes, Emma it's in here," Snow said as she placed her hand on her stomach.

"Well…how did the baby get there?" Emma asked.

Snow and Charming's eyes went wide as they looked up at one another…a bit taken aback by her question. They were not prepared for the direction this conversation had gone.

"Well?" Emma asked, placing her hands on her hips. Her mommy and daddy were just staring at each other with funny looks on their faces. They weren't answering her question.

"Uh, well…" David started, still unsure of how to answer her question.

"When a mommy and daddy love each other so much they uh…" Snow began.

"They just make a baby," David stated simply.

"Yeah…and it goes in the mommy's tummy," Snow told her.

Snow and Charming looked down at Emma, who seemed to be pondering what they just told her. Then they looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. They knew their answer was pretty vague, but they hoped it would be enough…that Emma would accept it and not push to know more.

"Okay," Emma said with a nod of her head. "Can we go downstairs and watch cartoons now?" she asked them.

"I think that is a wonderful idea," David said with a smile, scooping Emma up into his arms. He and Snow both sighed with relief…their answer may have been simple, but it worked and for that, they were very grateful.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

 _Hi everyone! Thanks for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! You're all awesome! This is mostly just a fluffy chapter. These ones are always fun to write! I hope you like it! Enjoy :)_

Emma made a mad dash for her mommy's classroom once her teacher finally let her leave. She had some very big news to share with her mommy, and she was just so excited.

Snow was writing something on the chalkboard for tomorrow's lesson and could hear Emma's little footsteps coming into her room. She could tell by her quick feet that Emma was very excited about something today.

"Mommy, Mommy!"

"Hi baby," Snow said as she turned and gave her daughter a smile.

"Guess what, Mommy!" Emma said, jumping up and down with excitement.

"What? What?" Snow asked as she knelt down to give Emma her full attention.

"Look!" Emma said, opening her mouth and pointing to the hole where her bottom tooth use to be. "I lost my tooth today!"

"Oh wow," Snow said as she took Emma's head in her hands and examined the new hole in her mouth. "That tooth finally decided to come out after all." Emma has had that loose tooth for weeks now, they thought that thing might never come out.

"Yeah! And look at this!" Emma held up a tiny tooth shaped box. "The nurse gave me this to put my tooth in too! Wanna see it?"

"Sure, Em," Snow said with a little laugh.

"Okay." Emma fumbled with the tiny box, trying to open the lid. When she did manage to get the box open, her tooth came flying out and onto the floor. "Oops!" Emma looked all around her feet, but she didn't see her tooth. "Mommy! Where is it?" Emma asked in a panic.

"Uh…" Snow looked all around.

"I have to find it Momma, so the Tooth Fairy will come!"

"Don't worry, we'll find it," Snow assured her, then she spotted the tooth under one of the desks. "Ahh, here it is!" Snow bent down to pick up the tooth and held it out to Emma.

Emma let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks Mommy." Emma carefully put the tooth back in her box, making sure the lid was closed very tightly. When she looked up, she saw her daddy walking into the room. "Daddy!" Emma ran right into his arms. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to pick up my two favorite girls," David said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Daddy, I lost my tooth today!" Emma told him as she held up her box. She gave the box a little shake. "Do you hear it in there?"

"I do."

"But you can't open it Daddy because I almost lost it, and I don't want to lose it again."

"Okay, princess. I won't open it," David said with a laugh. "Did you pull it out yourself?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I was just wiggling it during story time, and it came out!"

"I'm glad you finally got that thing out of there." David had been begging Emma for days to let him pull it out, but she refused. She promised him he could pull her next wiggly tooth out though. "I get the next one, right?" he asked with a wink.

"Yeah, Daddy!" Emma said with a nod of her head.

"David, we'd better go so we're not late," Snow said as she gathered her things.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked.

"Mommy has a doctor's appointment," David told her.

"We're going to get to see a picture of the baby today, Em," Snow told her with a smile.

"Okay," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders.

As they all made their way into the hospital, Emma looked curiously up at her parents. She didn't like this place. "I don't have to get a check up do I?"

"No, Emma. This is just for Mommy and the baby," David assured her.

"No shots?"

"No shots," Snow told her.

"Okay," Emma said with a nod of her head. "Daddy…" Emma held up her arms to him. She still felt nervous being here.

"I've got you, princess," David said as he scooped her up in his arms.

Emma laid her head down on his shoulder and snuggled him close.

"I don't see it," Emma said as she focused on the screen in front of her. Her mommy and daddy said her baby brother or sister was there, but she could not see the baby anywhere.

"Right there, Em," Snow said, pointing to the screen.

Emma squinted, trying to see. She just shrugged her shoulders. She still didn't see a baby on there. "Are you sure you have a baby in there?" Emma asked.

"Listen, Emma. What do you hear?" David whispered to her.

Emma listened carefully and heard a quiet beating. "Is that your heartbeat?" Emma asked her mommy.

"No, that's the baby's little heartbeat," Snow told her.

Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh…so it really is in there?"

Snow and David exchanged a glance. They were hoping Emma would be more excited about seeing the baby and hearing the heartbeat. They knew she would come around eventually though.

"Emma, do you want one of the pictures of the baby?" Snow asked once they were all settled back in the car. Dr. Whale gave them a few sonogram pictures to keep.

"No, that's okay," Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Alright," Snow said with a small smile, putting the pictures back in her purse. "Your dad and I have a surprise for you."

"What is it? What is it?" Emma asked.

"How would you like to go see the horses today?" David asked her as he glanced back in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah! Can I ride one too? Can I?" Emma's face lit up, she was so excited she'd been wanting to go see the horses for a really long time.

Emma hid behind her mommy's legs as her daddy brought the horse out of his stall. She never actually saw a real horse before, and they were a lot bigger than Emma thought they would be.

"Go on, little one. Why don't you pet him," Snow said, trying to coax Emma out from behind her.

"Okay," Emma said with a nod of her head. She walked closer to the horse trying to be brave. Emma looked up at the big brown horse and gave him a small smile. She watched as the horse looked down at her, then moved his face closer to the top of her head. Emma quickly ran back behind her mommy's legs. "Ahh, Momma. He's gonna eat my hair."

"He's not going to eat your hair, Em," David said with a laugh.

"Come here," Snow said as she picked Emma up, placing her on her hip. "He just wants to smell you. That's how he gets to know you." Snow took Emma's hand in hers and slowly reached out towards the horse, placing their hands under his nose.

Emma giggled as the horse sniffed her hand. "That tickles." Emma reached her hand up to give the horse a little pet.

"See he likes you," David told Emma with a wink.

"I like him too," Emma said with a smile as she continued to stroke his mane.

David climbed onto the horse and reached his hands out for Emma. "Ready to go for a ride?"

"Uh huh," Emma said with a nod of her head. She felt her mommy lift her higher and into her daddy's arms.

David settled Emma right in front of him and took ahold of the reigns. Snow mounted her horse, and they all went for a little ride through the fields. After awhile, David gave the horse a nudge to get him galloping. Emma was a little startled at first. She wasn't expecting that, but quickly realized how much fun this was. She liked going fast. David and Snow couldn't stop smiling at her little giggles. Eventually, Emma was comfortable enough to sit on the horse all by herself. David led her around the field while Snow took lots of pictures. This was a day they would want to remember forever.

Once they finished their ride and put the horses away, they grabbed some take-out from Granny's and headed home. After dinner, Snow and David gave Emma a bath and it was just about bedtime. Emma was looking around for her blanket and found it sitting on the chair. She grabbed the blanket and looked up, spotting her mommy's purse on the table. She climbed up onto the chair and peered inside. She grabbed one of the pictures of the baby and studied the black and white blob on the paper.

"What do you have there, Em?" Snow asked when she came into the room and saw Emma looking at something in her purse.

"I was just trying to see that silly baby again," Emma said with a shrug as she shoved the picture back inside. She still couldn't see the baby in that picture.

"I can show you if you'd like," Snow offered with a smile.

Emma just shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "No, that's okay. I'm sleepy." Her eyes popped open wide when she remembered… "My tooth! Momma, I have to put it under my pillow! Where is it?" Emma couldn't remember what she did with her little tooth box after they left school.

Snow winced and closed her eyes, trying to remember where that tooth was. "Daddy has it," Snow said, opening her eyes and pointing to the bedroom where Charming was. "You gave it to him at the stables, remember?"

"Oh yeah, he put it in his pocket," Emma said as she wiggled down from her mommy's arms and ran to where her daddy was. "Daddy! Daddy!"

"I have it right here, princess," David said, holding up the tiny tooth box.

"Thank you, Daddy," Emma said with a smile as she took the box from him.

David scooped Emma up into his arms. "How about we get you into bed, so you can put that tooth under your pillow?"

Emma nodded her head. Snow and David took her upstairs and got her all settled under her covers, her tooth safely beneath her pillow.

"I'm so excited," Emma told them with a smile. "I don't know if I can sleep."

"Well, you have to sleep or she won't come," Snow told her with a shrug of her shoulders.

Emma sighed. "But what if I pretend to sleep and open my eyes just a little bit like this?" Emma squinted her eyes and peeked through them up at her mommy and daddy. "Then I can see her, but she'll think I'm asleep."

"I don't think it works that way, kiddo," David told her.

"The Tooth Fairy is smart. You have to really be asleep if you want her to come," Snow added.

"Alright," Emma said with a nod of her head. She snuggled down under her covers some more and laid her head on her pillow. She closed her eyes and tried really hard to go to sleep.

"Goodnight, little one," Snow whispered.

"See you in the morning, princess," David said softly. "We love you."

They both gave Emma a kiss on the cheek before heading downstairs.

Once they were gone, Emma lifted her pillow to make sure her tooth was still under there. She picked up her little tooth box and gave it a shake…just in case. She smiled when she could hear her tooth rattling around inside. Emma placed the box carefully back under her pillow. She closed her eyes again and drifted off to sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

 _Hi everyone! Wow, I can't believe I've done 30 chapters of this story already! I wouldn't have made it this far without you all, so thanks! :) I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy :)_

"Emma! Come in here, hurry!" Snow called from the couch.

"What? What?" Emma said as she hopped down from the table where she was coloring. She quickly ran over and climbed onto the couch next to her mommy.

"The baby is kicking. Here, feel," Snow said as she took Emma's hand and placed it on her stomach.

Emma looked up at her mom and slumped her shoulders. "I don't feel anything." Emma jumped down from the couch and went back to the table. "I told you that baby doesn't like me. It always stops kicking when I try to feel."

"Emma…" Snow said with a sigh. She got up from the couch and walked over to where her daughter had resumed coloring. "The baby will love you."

Emma just shrugged.

Snow bent down and gave Emma a kiss on the top of her head. "You're going to be a great big sister."

"I guess…" Emma held up the picture she had just drawn. "Here can you put this on the fridge?"

"Sure, Em. Why don't you go on upstairs and get dressed. People will be arriving soon."

"Okay." Emma hopped down from the chair and ran up the stairs.

Snow looked down at Emma's drawing and saw herself, David, and Emma…but no baby. Snow sighed. She and David had tried everything they could think of to get Emma excited about this new baby, but nothing was working. This stubborn baby wouldn't even kick for it's big sister, and that wasn't really helping things either. Emma hasn't shown anymore signs of being worried they were going to send her back or anything. She wasn't mad about the new baby, just very uninterested in the whole thing. Snow and David had another idea, hoping this would help Emma a bit. They were having people over to find out the gender of the baby. They had Dr. Whale write down the baby's gender on a piece of paper and put the paper in an envelope. They gave the envelope to Granny, who swore on her life she wouldn't tell a soul. She was in charge of making the cake and would be putting blue or pink icing on the inside to indicate whether the baby was a boy or a girl. Emma loved parties, and they hoped she would have fun at this one too. Maybe once she knew she was having a brother or sister, she would start to be more interested.

Emma had two shirts laid out on her bed. She couldn't decide which one to wear. Her mommy told her all about the party. Everyone was either going to be wearing pink or blue. If you think the baby is a girl, you wear pink. If you think it's a boy, you're suppose wear blue. Emma couldn't choose. She really didn't care one way or the other what the baby was. She just wanted to guess the right one. Emma just held a shirt in each hand and closed her eyes. She mixed them up back and forth until she didn't know which shirt was which. She dropped one on the floor and would wear the one that was still in her hands. Emma opened her eyes and was holding a pink shirt. She quickly put the shirt on and headed downstairs. She could hear people arriving for the party.

"Auntie Red!" Emma said as she ran into her aunt's outstretched arms.

"Hey, Em," Red said as she gave her a squeeze. "Are you excited for the party?"

"Yeah!" Emma said with a smile as she nodded her head. She really did love parties.

"Good. You have to see Granny's cake. Come on, let's go look." Red carried Emma over to show her the cake.

More people arrived in their pink and blue and the party was in full swing. Emma talked to some people and ate more snacks than she was suppose to when her mommy and daddy weren't looking, but she quickly got bored. She really wanted some of that cake. Emma looked around to find her daddy. He would give her cake if she asked. She quickly found him and ran right up to him.

Emma gave his shirt a little tug. "Daddy?"

David scooped Emma up into his arms. "What is it, princess?"

"Can we have cake now?"

"Uh…I don't know. Why don't you go ask Mommy," David pointed to where his wife was across the room and set Emma back down on the ground.

Emma sighed, but went over to ask her mommy instead. "Momma?"

"Hold on a second, Em. Mommy's talking." She was having a conversation with Ella about which brand of stroller she should buy.

Emma waited a few minutes, but was growing impatient. "Mommy!" Emma pulled on her hand.

"Excuse me for a moment," Snow said as she held up a finger to her friend and bent down to see what Emma needed. "What's up, Em?"

"Can we have cake now?" Emma asked, giving her mommy the eyes.

"In just a few minutes, okay?"

"Alright," Emma said with a sigh.

Emma slowly made her way over to the cake anyway. She climbed up onto the barstool and leaned in towards the cake. The icing just looked so yummy. She really wanted some. She also really wanted to know if she guessed right when she picked her shirt. Emma looked around, and no one seemed to be paying attention to her. Emma turned back towards the cake. If she could just shove her finger into the cake far enough, she'd get some of the inside icing on her finger. Then she could pull her finger out and know if the baby was a boy or girl. She would also get to taste that icing too. She inched her finger closer and closer…

"Emma…" said a voice from behind.

Emma turned around to find her Auntie Red standing there with her hands on her hips. "I just wanted a little taste," Emma said with a shrug.

"How about we wait for your mommy and daddy, first?"

"But I already asked and my mommy said no. Will you go ask her? Please?"

Red had trouble denying that cute little face. "Okay I'll ask, but no sticking your fingers in while I'm gone." Red put a little icing on her finger and dabbed it on Emma's nose before going to convince her best friend to cut the cake.

"Hey!" Emma said with a laugh. She wiped the icing from her nose and licked it right off of her finger…it was so yummy!

Emma waited and waited, then finally her mommy and daddy came over so they could cut the cake.

"Alright here we go," David said as he put the knife into the cake. "Are you ready Em?"

Emma nodded from her seat right in front of the cake. She peeked her head close as her daddy pulled the piece of cake out with the spatula. He was being really slow. Emma just wanted to know what color that icing was already. When he finally got the piece all the way out. Emma saw the icing. Blue. She let out a sigh and crossed her arms. She picked the wrong shirt.

"It's a boy!" David said with a smile as he turned to his wife and gave her a kiss.

Snow was just as excited as her husband. Now they would have one of each. She looked down at Emma. "What do you think, Em? You're going to have a baby brother!" Snow took the piece of cake and set it down in front of Emma. "I think the big sister should get the first piece."

"No," Emma said as she pushed the piece away. She jumped down from the barstool and ran up the stairs.

Snow and David just looked at each other, not sure what had just happened. Two minutes ago, Emma was begging them to cut the cake and now she was upset. They didn't know what was wrong. Was she upset that she chose the wrong shirt? Was she upset about having a brother? Did she want the baby to be a girl? Or was this much bigger than that? They weren't sure, but needed to go find out what was upsetting their little one. Snow and David encouraged everyone to enjoy some cake before excusing themselves and going upstairs to check on Emma.

Emma stomped into her room and went straight to her dresser. She took off her stupid pink shirt and put on the yellow one she had gotten from her drawer. She was mad that she didn't choose the right color. She didn't like being wrong. Emma climbed up onto her bed and threw her covers over her head. She was not in the mood for a party anymore.

"Emma…" David said as he and Snow walked into the room. They spotted Emma under the covers. They went to her and gently pulled them back, not missing the fact the she had changed her outfit.

"No!" Emma said, trying to grab ahold of the covers and pull them back over her again.

Snow pulled the blankets out of Emma's reach. "Em, come on. What's the matter?"

"I want to be under my blankets," Emma said, giving her mommy a grumpy look.

"Why did you get so upset downstairs, princess?" David asked.

"Because the baby is a boy," Emma said as she crossed her arms.

"Did you want a little sister?" Snow asked her.

"No…I just picked the wrong shirt," Emma grumbled.

Snow and David exchanged glances. Now they knew what caused that little upset downstairs. She guessed wrong on the gender.

"That's okay, Em," Snow said with a shrug. There were a few people who guessed wrong and Snow, herself, technically cheated. She couldn't decide, so she wore pink and blue. David chose to wear blue though, he was sure the baby would be a boy this time. "Auntie Red and Ella wore pink too."

"So did Grumpy," David said with a laugh.

Emma grinned. She did think it was funny that he had a pink shirt on too. "Yeah, I guess so," Emma said with a sigh.

"So how do you feel about having a little brother?" Snow asked.

Emma shrugged. "He doesn't even like me anyways, so it doesn't matter." Emma was still sad that her baby brother would stop kicking every time she tried to feel.

David pulled Emma onto his lap. "Aww Em, he likes you."

"Then why won't he kick for me?"

"He just doesn't kick for very long right now. He's still pretty little," Snow told her.

"If you say so," Emma said as she eyed up her mommy's tummy. She still wasn't so sure. "Can we go eat some cake now?"

"Sure, princess. Let's go." David carried Emma out of the room and Snow followed. They joined the rest of their guests and enjoyed the rest of the party.

Snow had just finished cleaning up after the party when she felt the baby start to kick again. He was really moving. Probably because of all that sugar she had. This little boy demanded that she eat two pieces of cake, and she wasn't going to deny him that. Granny's cake was delicious.

"Okay, buddy," Snow said as she placed a hand on her stomach. "You better keep this up so your sister can feel, okay?"

Snow spotted Emma sitting on her bed with David. They were reading a story. Snow sat down on the other side of Emma. "Em, come here," Snow whispered. She held out her arms and Emma crawled onto her lap. She took Emma's hands and placed them on her stomach. The baby was still kicking, so she knew Emma would get to feel him this time. "Do you feel that?"

Emma's eyes went wide. "Wow!" She could feel him. His little legs were kicking like crazy. "Is that really him in there?"

"Yeah it is," Snow said with a smile. Her eyes started to tear up after seeing the wonder on Emma's face.

"Let me feel my little man," David said as he put his hands on Snow's stomach too.

Snow winced…as soon as David reached out his hand, the baby stopped moving.

Emma felt that the baby stopped too. She looked up at her daddy, who couldn't feel anything. "It's okay, Daddy. He still likes you."

"Thanks, Em," David told her.

David and Snow looked at each other and just laughed. Emma seemed to be coming around, and they were relieved. They got even more confirmation later that night when they noticed a slight alteration to Emma's picture Snow had hung on the fridge this morning. They had come downstairs after putting Emma to bed when they noticed. They weren't sure when she had done it, but there was now a new member of the family added to the picture. Emma had previously drawn David, Snow, then herself all in a line. Now, right beside Emma, was her new baby brother. They couldn't have been happier, and this was definitely a drawing they would cherish forever.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

 _Hi everyone! Sorry it's been awhile since I've updated…lots of stuff going on lol Leave me some reviews so I know you're still out there reading ;) I hope you like what I've written! Enjoy :)_

Snow didn't know why she thought moving in the middle of the summer while she was several months pregnant was a good idea. Here they were though…the loft full of boxes and sweat pouring down their faces. The air conditioner decided to stop working the night before too, so that wasn't helping things either. They had a few fans running, but they didn't seem to be doing much in the way of cooling the rooms down. Luckily the movers were coming tomorrow, and they would be in their new air conditioned home. They were moving a few miles from the main part of town into a farm house. David decided that his heart wasn't set on working at the police station for the rest of his life. He grew up a farmer, and that's what he wanted to be. Snow was more than happy to make this change for him. They needed a bigger place anyway with the baby coming, and Emma was very excited about all of the animals they would soon be getting. The move and the new house was very exciting for everyone. Packing up the loft though…not so much. Tensions were rising and everyone was just ready to be done.

"Daddy, please will you make me waffles?" Emma whined.

David sighed. She already asked him three times for waffles, and he continued to give her the same answer. "Emma the waffle iron is already packed away. I told you…I can make you cereal or I can run to Granny's and get you pancakes."

Emma crossed her arms and pouted up at her daddy. "I don't want cereal, and I just had pancakes yesterday."

David shrugged and turned back to the box he was taping. "Those are your choices. Don't ask me again."

Emma turned and stomped over to the couch. She hoped that if she sat here and looked grumpy long enough her daddy would give her what she wanted.

"Still not giving up on those waffles, huh?" Snow asked. She held out a marker for him to label the box he had just taped closed.

"Nope," David said as he popped the lid off the marker.

"She's been in one of her moods since she woke up this morning," Snow said with a sigh. "She does look very cute when she tries to be grumpy though," Snow grinned.

David glanced over to Emma and smiled. "Yeah she really does."

Emma woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and she may have been testing her limits all summer, but neither one could deny that she was very adorable. They knew her behavior had a lot to do with the new baby. She still hasn't completely come around to the whole idea. Snow and David would be patient with her though and give her all the time she needed. They would always be here for her, and they would make sure she knew that.

Emma sat on the couch for awhile. She didn't understand why her daddy wouldn't just make her some waffles. He could just open the box and get the waffle iron out…what was so hard about that? She had a feeling he wasn't going to give in though, and she was getting really hungry. Maybe she should just eat some cereal and be done with it.

Emma waited a little bit longer before finally walking over to where her daddy was packing up the last of the dishes. "Daddy…"

"Yes, Emma?" David said with a smile as he turned to face his little girl.

"I guess I'll have some cereal," Emma said with a shrug.

"Okay, princess." David lifted Emma into his arms. "Which kind would you like?"

Emma pointed to the Fruit Loops. "This one."

"Good choice," David said with a wink. He put Emma down and poured her a bowl.

Emma sat at the table and watched her daddy place her breakfast in front of her. "Thanks, Daddy."

"You're welcome, Em." David gave Emma a kiss on the top of her head and went back to packing. He hoped Emma would be in a better mood now that she had some food in her.

"Momma…." Emma whined.

Snow closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering. Apparently Emma's attitude hadn't changed after finally eating breakfast. Snow turned to face Emma. "What do you need little one?"

"I can't find my crayons and coloring books," Emma complained.

"Well, where did you put them, Em?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

Snow sighed and looked around the loft. She couldn't see Emma's coloring books or crayons anywhere. Emma was coloring last night at the table, but the coloring stuff wasn't there anymore. She and David specifically didn't pack them yet so Emma would have something to keep her occupied today while they packed the rest of their belongings. Snow didn't know what Emma had done with them. Maybe her husband would know.

"David, have you seen Emma's coloring books and crayons?"

"Right here." David reached to the top of the fridge and pulled down a bag with all of Emma's coloring stuff inside. He saw that Emma had left all of it out on the table last night and he put it away for safe keeping.

Emma ran over to retrieve her bag. "Thanks Daddy!"

"You're welcome, princess."

Unfortunately, the coloring only kept Emma occupied for a short time. Snow was in the bathroom packing up the towels from the cupboard when she heard little footsteps walking into the room.

"Mommy…" Emma whined. "I'm bored. Will you play with me?"

"Em, I still have to finish packing up our stuff for the movers, remember?"

Emma leaned into her mommy's legs. "Please!" Emma begged.

Snow gently rubbed Emma's back. "Why don't you help me finish packing in here?"

Emma looked up at her mommy, mustering up the grumpiest face she could.

Snow raised her eyebrows at Emma. She gave her little nose a tap and grinned. "And what is that face for?"

"Play with me," Emma demanded, making her face even grumpier.

Snow stepped back, put her hands on her hips, and made the same grumpy face back at Emma. "Help me pack."

Emma tried not to smile at her mommy's face. She stomped her foot and put her hands on her hips. "Momma."

Snow stomped her foot too. "Emma."

"Stop copying me."

"Okay, how about I just do this instead." Snow reached out and pulled Emma closer, tickling her belly.

"Mommy no!" Emma wiggled and wiggled until she got herself free. She looked up and saw her mommy laughing. "That's not funny. I don't like when you tickle me."

"I'm sorry, Em," Snow laughed.

"I don't want to play with you anymore," Emma turned and stomped away. "I'm going to go find Daddy."

Snow just sighed and shook her head. Maybe he would have better luck with her.

Emma didn't see her daddy anywhere downstairs, so she went upstairs to look. She found him in her room.

"Daddy, what are you doing?"

"Just packing up your little zoo," David said with a laugh. This girl had enough stuffed animals for a zoo _and_ a farm.

Emma saw the big brown box sitting next to her daddy and her eyes went wide. "You're putting them in there?"

David noticed the look on her face. "Just for a little while. We can unpack them first when we get to the new house."

Emma shook her head. "But they won't be able to breathe in there."

"Hmmm…you're right," David said, tapping his finger on his chin pretending to think of a solution. "I've got it!" David picked up one of the pencils from Emma's desk and poked a few holes into the box. "There. Do you think that will help?"

Emma smiled. "Yeah! Good idea Daddy!"

"Thanks, princess," David said with a laugh. "Want to help me put your friends inside?"

"Uh huh!" Emma climbed onto her bed where most of her stuffed animals were. She handed the animals to her daddy. "Just be careful when you put them in, okay?"

"Of course," David said with a nod as he gently put her stuffed monkey inside.

Emma picked up her black horse. "Daddy, can I leave Buttons out? He's still hurt."

David noticed the toilet paper wrapped around one of the horses legs. "Oh, what happened to Buttons?"

Emma shrugged. "Peanuts stepped on him the other day."

David played along and picked up Emma's elephant. "Peanuts, did you do that?" he asked the stuffed animal very seriously.

Emma giggled. "It was an accident, Daddy."

"Oh okay…" David said, eyeing up the elephant suspiciously. "Did he say he was sorry?"

"Uh huh," Emma said with a nod of her head.

David put the elephant into the box. "Okay, well I guess he's off the hook then, and you can keep Buttons with you for the move."

"Thanks Daddy!" Emma gently set Buttons down beside her and gave him a little pat on the head. Then she went back to work, helping her daddy put the rest of her stuffed animals away…well all except for her little bunny, Judy, Emma managed to convince her daddy to let her keep the bunny out as well.

"Alright Em, I think that's all of them," David said as he looked around her room to make sure they didn't miss any. "Let's get them all closed in."

"Wait Daddy!" Emma hopped down from the bed and peeked into the box. "Okay guys…don't be scared. I'll see you soon at our new house. Be good in there," Emma looked up at her daddy. "Okay, they're ready now."

David gave Emma a nod, trying to hold back a grin. He closed the box and taped it closed. He picked it up and carried it down the stairs.

Emma picked up Buttons and Judy before following her daddy. When she got to the bottom, she remembered one more animal she wanted from the box. It was her puppy, Willow. She forgot that Willow was scared of the dark, and Emma needed to get her out.

"Daddy, Daddy, wait!"

"What is it Em?" David asked, still balancing the box in his hand.

"Daddy, I need my puppy out of there!"

David sighed. "Em, the box is all taped up."

"But Daddy I need her!" Emma begged.

David shook his head. "No Emma."

"Yes, I have to get her out!" Emma reached up for the box, almost causing David to lose his balance.

"Emma…" David said, trying to keep ahold of the box.

Snow came in with a box of her own, bumping into David.

"Snow…" David stumbled, but managed to keep a grip on the box.

Snow winced. "Sorry."

Emma pointed up at the box her daddy was carrying. "Mommy, I need something out of there."

"Emma, Daddy said no." Snow could hear their conversation from the other room.

"But Mommy…" Emma whined.

"Emma, I've already let you keep two animals out. That's plenty."

"No, Daddy!"

"Emma, that's enough," Snow said as she tried to maneuver herself around Emma and all of the other boxes that were stacked around them. There were boxes everywhere and it was driving Snow crazy.

David moved himself around Emma, also finding it difficult with all of the stuff everywhere.

"Daddy…" Emma whined as she followed him.

"Emma please…" David continued to walk forwards, kicking one of the boxes on the floor.

"David careful. Don't kick that box. There's breakables in there," Snow told him.

"Well maybe we shouldn't be leaving breakables on the floor," he mumbled under his breath. He stepped back bumping into Emma, who was still begging for her puppy, and knocked her right to the floor. She immediately burst into tears. David put the box down and turned to Emma, lifting her into his arms. "I'm sorry princess."

Snow walked up and rubbed Emma's back. "Are you okay little one?"

Emma let out a sniffle and nodded her head.

David turned to walk towards the couch, accidentally kicking that box again. This time he heard something break.

"David…"

"Damn it."

"Daddy…."

"Not you, Em," David sighed. "I'm sorry Snow."

"It's fine," Snow shook her head. She really didn't care all that much about what was in that box. "You know what? We just need to get out of here."

"What?" David asked. "Snow, the movers are coming tomorrow and we still have…"

Snow put her hand up to stop him. "I don't care. We all need a break."

David nodded his head. He agreed. They all could definitely use one of those, plus some fresh air would be nice.

Snow looked at Emma. "Want to go to the beach for a little while baby?"

Emma lifted her head and nodded. "Yeah Mommy!"

Snow leaned in and gave Emma a kiss on the cheek. "It's settled then."

"I'll call Granny's, and we can pick up some take out for a picnic too," David said.

"That's perfect," Snow said with a smile. She stood on her tiptoes, giving her husband a kiss as well.

Snow had prepared for this. She had a bag packed with all of the swim stuff set aside just in case. She had a feeling they were going to need a break at some point today. That was just what they needed right now. A little sand between their toes and a warm salty breeze would do them all some good.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

 _Hi everyone! Sorry for disappearing again. I was having trouble getting inspiration to write, but I think I'm good for now. I have the rest of this story pretty much mapped out. I'm also working on my next chapter of The Other Daughter and trying to catch up on my one-shot series as well! Writing the Charming family is a little harder now that none of them are on the show anymore :( I realized though, what better way to keep them alive than to write about them? :) Speaking of the show…I am really liking this season so far! What do you all think?_

 _I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! Send me your thoughts! Enjoy :)_

Emma ran through the sand tugging on her daddy's arm. "Come on Daddy! Let's go swim! Let's go swim!"

"Just hold on a second my little fish," David said with a laugh as he quickly lifted Emma from the ground. "Let me get the umbrella set up for Mommy first, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy."

David placed Emma back on the sand and picked up the umbrella.

Snow sat down on her towel and dug through her bag. "Come here little one. We need to put some sunscreen on you."

"Momma…do I have to?" Emma complained.

"You don't want your skin to get burned do you?" Snow asked.

Emma slumped her shoulders. "No." She slowly made her way over to her mommy.

David finished setting up the umbrella just as Snow finished applying Emma's sunscreen.

"Okay, you're up daddy." Snow held the sunscreen out to her husband.

David made a face. He hated that stuff.

Emma noticed. "Daddy…you don't want your skin to get burned, do you?" Emma raised her eyebrows at him.

David smiled. "No, Em. I don't." David took the bottle from Snow and put on the lotion.

"Okay, _now_ can we go swimming?" Emma said with a hopeful grin.

"You bet princess. Let's go!"

"Mommy are you coming too?"

"No, Em. You and Daddy go ahead." Snow was tired. Not only was all the packing wearing on her, but her little prince was already keeping her up at night. Her nocturnal ninja never liked to be still when she was trying to sleep. Snow was just going to relax for awhile. "I'll be watching you from right here."

"Okay," Emma said with a shrug. "Come on Daddy!" Emma took her daddy's hand and pulled him towards the ocean. She stopped right at the edge and slowly dipped her toe into the water. "Oh," Emma let out a little shiver. "It's a little cold Daddy."

David stepped closer, letting the waves crash over his feet. "It feels good, Em! Come on." He turned his head back to look at her. She was still holding his hand, but she hadn't stepped any closer to the water. He could tell she was a little nervous, so he scooped her up into his arms.

Emma was glad her daddy was holding her. She loved swimming in the ocean, but this was the only part she didn't like…getting used to the water. The water was always so cold at first.

Emma watched as her daddy walked further and further into the ocean. The water was getting higher and higher. Emma quickly wrapped her arms around her daddy's neck and scooted herself up as the water got closer and closer to her feet.

"It's alright, princess. I've got you." David gently rubbed Emma's back. "Okay, are you ready?" David asked before moving forward anymore. Emma couldn't shimmy up any further and if he took another step the waves would splash her.

"Uh huh," Emma answered with a nervous nod of her head. Emma held her breath as her daddy stepped forward and the waves crashed right into her. Emma let out her breath and shivered.

"Are you alright?" David asked.

Emma nodded her head and wiggled herself down from her daddy's arms. She was used to the water now and wanted to swim.

David kept ahold of Emma's hands as she kicked her legs. He pulled her around the water and lifted her up when the waves came. His little girl loved the water. She wasn't even afraid to stick her head in and blow some bubbles.

After awhile, Emma decided she was done swimming. David picked her back up and carried her to the shore. When they got free from where the waves were breaking, David set Emma down and watched as she ran up the beach towards Snow.

Snow saw Emma coming and quickly grabbed her towel, holding it open for her.

"Did you watch me swimming, Mommy? Did you?" Emma crashed into her mommy's outstretched arms.

Snow pulled Emma onto her lap and wrapped the towel tightly around her "I did baby girl! You were like a little fishy out there."

"Like this Momma?" Emma looked up at her mommy. She pulled her cheeks in and moved her lips up and down, trying to make a fishy face.

Snow let out a laugh. "Exactly like that, Em." Snow then made a fishy face back.

Emma giggled. "Daddy, you do it," Emma said as her daddy sat down beside them.

"Yeah, Daddy. You do it," Snow said, holding back a laugh knowing her husband couldn't get his cheeks pulled in just right to make a fishy face.

David gave his wife a look, but still tried for his little girl.

Emma shook her head and giggled. "Daddy, that's not how you do it. Like this…" Emma reached up and pushed her daddy's cheeks in with her hands. "Hold your cheeks with your teeth and move your lips." Emma proceeded to make her own fishy face again to show him. Emma just looked at her mommy and started laughing again when her daddy couldn't do it.

"Okay, okay. Enough fishy faces," David said. "How about we eat our sandwiches? I'm hungry. Is anybody else hungry?" David held out sandwiches to Snow and Emma.

"Me!" Emma took her sandwich from her daddy. She pulled her sandwich out of the bag and leaned back against her mommy to enjoy her pb&j.

"Hey, Em?" Snow whispered once Emma had finished her sandwich.

"What, Momma?"

Snow smiled at the peanut butter covered face looking up at her. "Do you want to go look for some seashells?"

Emma's eyes went wide, and she nodded her head. She sprung up from her mommy's lap, ready to go.

"I'll stay here and get started on our sandcastle," David told them.

"Okay, Daddy!" She reached out for her mommy's hand, picked up her little bucket, and walked towards the water. Emma looked down, scanning the sand for seashells. "Mommy, look at this one!" Emma picked up the seashell and placed it into her bucket.

"That's a pretty one, Emma!" Snow just smiled as she walked along, letting the water crash over her feet. She also searched the ground for some shells. She felt more relaxed than she had in weeks. That loft might have been small, but she seemed to have accumulated so much and packing was taking forever. This was nice though. Just what her family needed. The cool ocean breeze and the warm sun was doing them all a world of good.

"Mommy, my bucket is full. Let's go show daddy!"

"He's going to love them," Snow told her. They made their way back to the umbrella.

"Wow, Daddy You were working very hard." Emma was amazed at the sandcastle her daddy built. She watched as he patted the sand firmly into the bucket, ready to flip it over. "Can I do it?" Emma ran and sat next to her daddy.

"Sure, princess." David pulled Emma onto his lap. "You have to make sure the sand is in there really good."

Emma copied her daddy and pushed the sand with her little hands. "Like this, Daddy?"

"That's perfect. Now, let's carefully dump it over." David helped Emma turn the bucket upside-down. "Alright now give the top a little pat."

Emma did what her Daddy told her. "Now we take it off?"

"Yup. You go ahead and do it. Very slowly."

Emma nodded her head and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. She put her hands around the bucket and did just what her daddy said. The bucket came off and the sandcastle looked perfect. "Look Daddy, I did it!"

"Great job!"

"Mommy did you see?"

"I did baby girl," Snow told her with a wink.

"Let's decorate the castle with our seashells now." Emma reached for her bucket full of shells. "Aren't they pretty, Daddy?"

"They're beautiful," David told her.

Emma pulled a shell from her bucket. "Mommy found this big one. She almost found another one that was even bigger, but the waves took it away before we could catch it, right Momma?"

Snow let out a sigh. "Yeah that wave was faster than we were."

"It's okay, Mommy. This one is prettier anyway," Emma told her with a smile. "Here, you can put it on." Emma reached out the shell to Snow.

Snow smiled. "Thanks, baby." She placed the shell on one of the castles Charming made. "How about right here?"

"Perfect," Emma reached into her bucket for more.

Snow, Charming, and Emma decorated their sandcastle until the bucket was empty. Then, they sat back to enjoy their masterpiece. Not too much time passed before Snow and David noticed Emma's eyes starting to droop. They waited awhile to make sure she was in a deep enough sleep before starting to pack up their things. David carried Emma and the umbrella while Snow picked up the bag. Snow looked up at her sweet little girl, who was resting her head on her daddy's shoulder. Snow smiled at the sound of Emma's light snores. She reached up and gave Emma a kiss on her sandy little cheek. Snow gave her husband one too before walking back to the car. They both hoped Emma would nap for a few hours so they could get the rest of the packing done. There wasn't too much left to do, and by this time tomorrow they would be in their brand new house.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

 _Hi everyone! I want to apologize for leaving this story hanging for so long! I promise not to go too long in-between chapters anymore. There will probably only be a few left, and I will try to get them done in a more timely manner. I hope I still have some readers! Let me know if you're still out there!_

 _Also, I just watched the finale…and I am going through so many emotions. (I won't say anything more about it because I know some people might not have seen it yet.) I think I might still be in denial that it's really over. For those of you who have seen it, how are you all feeling about it?_

 _Enjoy :)_

A little over a month had passed since the big move and the Charming's loved their new house. David was glad to be back on the farm, Emma had started first grade, and even though she was getting close to her delivery date, Snow was back teaching fourth grade. She wanted to work up until the baby came. The pregnancy was going well, and she felt great.

"Are you ready to go, Em?" David called out as grabbed his keys from the hook.

Emma quickly ran to the front door. "Coming Daddy!"

"Don't forget this, Em," Snow said as she held up Emma's jacket. "It's starting to get chilly out there."

"Thanks, Mommy." Emma quickly slipped into her coat and ran into her Daddy's arms. "Let's go, Daddy!"

"We should be back in about an hour Snow. We just need to pick up some feed for the sheep and a new bridle for Lucky," David told her.

"But Daddy, what about…" Emma whispered the rest into his ear.

"Oh, right," David said with a nod. "We'll stop there too."

"Stop where?" Snow asked suspiciously.

"Nowhere," David shrugged.

"Charming…" Snow had a feeling she knew exactly what Emma had whispered into her daddy's ear.

"Bye Snow. See you soon." David gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We'll bring back lunch too."

Emma giggled as they walked out the door. "Bye Momma."

Emma had waited patiently as her daddy got everything he needed at the store and picked up the food from Granny's. "Okay, now can we go Daddy? Please?"

"Okay, Em. We can stop for a few minutes, but we're just visiting today remember?"

Emma nodded her head. "Okay, Daddy."

Once they arrived, Emma quickly hopped out of the truck and ran into the Storybrooke Pet Shelter. "Pocahontas!" Emma greeted the veterinarian standing behind the desk.

Wingapo, Emma," Pocahontas said with a smile. "Back again I see."

"I'm having a hard time keeping her away," David said as he patted the top of Emma's head.

"Can I go see her now? Please, please!" Emma begged.

Pocahontas gave her a nod "Go ahead. I think she's been waiting for you."

Emma ran as fast as she could through the door, into the back room, and straight to the second kennel on the left. "Hi, Willow!" Emma opened the cage and was greeted with dozens of sloppy kisses from the dog inside. Emma had been visiting Willow as often as she could for the last several weeks. Emma and David were still trying to convince Snow to let them adopt her.

"You know her foot is completely healed now," Pocahontas told them. "She's officially adoptable."

Emmas eyes went wide at the news. She didn't think Willow's foot would be better for a few more weeks. "Oh Daddy, can we please take her home today? Please, please, please!" Emma jumped up and down with the biggest smile on her face.

David sighed. "Emma I don't…"

"Daddy, we have to take her home with us! Please!"

"Maybe we should go home and talk to Mommy first." David knew Snow didn't think it was the right time to get a dog. Part of David agreed with her. With the new baby coming any time now, they didn't know if they could handle a new dog as well.

"No, Daddy," Emma whined. She knew her mommy would say no. "Let's just take Willow home and surprise Mommy."

"I don't know if this is a surprise that Mommy would like," David said with a laugh.

Emma knelt down beside Willow and leaned her head into the dog's."But just look at her cute little face." Emma stuck out her lip and mustered up the saddest eyes she could. "Please Daddy?"

David knelt down beside them, giving Willow a pet on the head. He wouldn't lie, he was just as excited to come visit Willow these last few weeks as Emma was. He had a dog back in the Enchanted Forest that looked just like her, and she would be a good dog to have around the farm. David could use some help herding those sheep. David looked at his sweet daughter's face and didn't think he was going to be able to tell her no. They were going to be going home with that dog today. Now, he just had to hope Snow would be on board once she met Willow.

"And what is this?" Snow asked when she saw the dog jump out of the truck behind Emma.

"It's our new doggy!" Emma said as she ran over to her mommy. "Isn't she cute?"

"She is very cute." Snow knelt down to greet Willow and was given some kisses in return. "Oh, thank you. She's very friendly isn't she?"

"Aww, she already loves you," Charming told his wife with an apologetic smile.

Snow stood up and gave David a smile in return. "I thought we were still discussing this?" Snow whispered so Emma couldn't hear.

"Hey Em, why don't you go show Willow around the house?" David suggested.

"Okay Daddy." Emma gave her leg a pat. "Come on, Willow."

David watched Emma and Willow run into the house before turning to face his wife. "Snow, I'm sorry."

Snow sighed. "David…I thought we were going to wait."

"I know, I know, but her foot was healed, and I didn't want her to have to stay in the shelter any longer and…"

"And your little girl has you wrapped," Snow held up her pinky and grinned at her prince.

David smiled. "And I wouldn't want it any other way."

"I guess we're stuck with Willow now aren't we?" Snow said as she looked towards the house, hoping she wasn't tearing up the place.

David shrugged. "We could always take her back."

"Well it's too late for that," Snow sighed. "I've seen her now, and she's just too cute to take back. She has to stay."

David smiled and wrapped his arm around Snow. They walked back to the house and spent the rest of the day playing with the newest member of the family.

"Please can Willow sleep in my bed?" Emma asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Emma, we talked about this," Snow said. "Willow is going to sleep down here for the first few nights. Just until she gets use to the place." They put a baby gate on the laundry room and had a nice set up for Willow in there.

"But Mommy she won't tear up another one of the pillows, I promise!" While they were eating dinner, Willow had taken it upon herself to have one of the pillows from the couch as a snack.

"We don't know that yet, Em," David said as he came into the room. "She'll be just fine in here for the time being."

"She has her food and some toys. And look," Snow pointed to Willow, who seemed to be very comfortable. "She loves her new doggy bed."

"I guess so," Emma said with a sigh. Willow did look perfectly happy. Emma walked over and gave Willow a hug. "Goodnight, Willow." She leaned closer. "I'll see you later," she said quietly so her mommy and daddy didn't hear. She gave Willow one last kiss before turning to her daddy and lifting her arms up to him.

"Come on, princess," David said as he scooped her up and headed towards the stairs.

Snow and Charming read Emma a few stories, gave her hugs and kisses, then tucked her in real tight for the night.

Emma woke up a few hours later. She really wanted to go check on Willow and make sure she was okay. She looked over at the clock and was pretty sure her mommy and daddy had been asleep for awhile now. Emma hopped out of bed and tiptoed into the hallway. She walked over to her mommy and daddy's bedroom door and leaned her ear in close. She could hear her daddy snoring, so he was definitely asleep. She just hoped her mommy was too. Emma walked down the stairs as quietly as she could. She made her way to the laundry room and peered over the baby gate. Willow instantly perked her ears and lifted her head.

Emma unlatched the baby gate and walked into the room. "Hi, Willow," she whispered She knelt down to give Willow a hug. She was greeted with doggy kisses as usual. "You want to come sleep in my bed, don't you?" Emma noticed Willow's tail start to wag when she asked that. "I'll take that as a yes," Emma grinned. "Come on let's go."

Emma held onto Willow's collar and led her to the stairs. "We have to be very quiet." Emma held a finger up to her mouth and hoped Willow knew what quiet meant. Emma was sure she did when they made it into her room without Willow making a sound.

Emma crawled up onto her bed and Willow jumped up after her. "You can come under the covers with me," Emma said as she lifted her blankets. Willow laid herself down and rested her head on Emma's chest. Emma covered Willow back up and let out a sigh. "We did it, Willow." Emma gave Willow a kiss on the top of her head. "Now go to sleep, and don't eat anything, okay?"

Willow gave Emma's hand a little lick, as if to tell her she would be a good girl. Emma just smiled and closed her eyes, contently falling back to sleep.

Snow awoke the next morning and went to check on her little one. She opened the door to find not only Emma sleeping soundly, but Willow too. Snow walked a little further into the room and Willow lifted her head. "And just what do you think you're doing in here?" Snow put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows at the guilty looking dog.

Willow let out a little whine and laid her head back down.

"Well, at least you didn't tear up Emma's room," Snow said with a smile as she gave Willow a pet. "You stay here, I'll be right back."

Snow walked into the hallway and found that Charming was up too. "Your daughter snuck that dog into her room last night, you know."

"Oh she did?" Charming asked, looking towards Emma's room.

"Mhmm," Snow walked past him back to their room.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To get my camera. They look absolutely adorable in there."

"So you're not upset that Emma snuck the dog into her room last night?" David asked when Snow came back with her camera.

"Nah," Snow shrugged. "I think Willow tearing up that pillow was a one time thing. She can sleep in Emma's room from now on."

David pulled his wife close and held his pinky up to her. "Oh and who's wrapped now?"

Snow grinned. "I wouldn't want it any other way." She leaned up to give her husband a kiss. "Now come on and see them before Emma wakes up."

David followed his wife into the room, and she was right about how adorable they looked. David knew he took a huge risk when he decided to bring Willow home from the shelter yesterday without asking Snow first, but that risk paid off. David could tell Snow instantly fell in love with Willow just as he and Emma had. Willow was a perfect addition to their family and now, they only needed one more member to make their little family complete.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

 _Hi all! Here's the next chapter for ya! Let me know what you think! Enjoy :)_

Month 9. Snow was glad to have finally made it. Her stomach was huge, her feet were swollen, and her walk resembled more of a waddle these days. She was ready for this baby to come, and she was ready now. They had the baby's room painted, his crib built, and all of his new clothes washed and in his drawers. They were stocked with diapers and wipes, basically everything they needed. Granny even knitted him a blanket that was just like Emma's, but his had a blue ribbon instead of purple. Granny hadn't been able to stitch the baby's name onto the blanket though. Snow and Charming had yet to decide what to name their little prince.

"I still think we should just name him Leopold after my father," Snow told her husband.

"No," David shook his head. "People will make fun of him."

"My father was a king!"

"Which is why no one made fun of him."

Snow sighed. "Well, we've got to pick something." She continued to look through the baby name book they picked up from the library. They had a list of possible names, but nothing that really stuck out to them.

"We'll come up with something, Snow," David assured her.

Snow nodded her head and looked up when she heard Emma come into the room. "Hey little one."

"Hi, Mommy. What are you guys doing?"

"We're just making a list of names for your brother," Snow told her.

"You still don't know what you're naming that baby?" Emma said as she put her hands on her hips.

"How about you help us?" David asked.

Emma thought about it for a second, then she shook her head.

"Aww come on princess, we need your help." David told her.

"I bet you would pick out some really good ones," Snow tried.

"No, I don't want to. Can I go outside and play with Willow?"

"Sure go ahead," David told her.

"Don't forget your coat," Snow added.

"I don't need my coat," Emma called from the front door.

"Put it on Emma," David warned.

"Alright," Emma sighed.

They couldn't see Emma at the front door, but they heard her zip up her coat, so they knew she listened. Snow looked up at David and sighed. She was worried because Emma still didn't seem very interested in the baby at all. She thought they were making progress when it came to how Emma was feeling about the baby, but apparently they were wrong. Snow took Emma along to help pick out the paint for the nursery, and she refused to pick a color. David tried to get her to help him test out baby strollers, and she just complained that she was bored the whole time. She was pushing their buttons just about every chance she got too, and Snow noticed this attitude of Emma's seemed to be more aimed towards her than David. They hoped Emma's attitude would change once the baby was here. Snow still couldn't help but worry though.

"Snow, please don't," David sighed.

"Don't what?" Snow said with a shrug as she looked down at the book, hoping a name would just pop out at her.

David reached out and took his wife's hand in his. "Please don't worry. Emma is going to be just fine."

Snow nodded her head. "I know. You're right."

David gave his wife's hand a squeeze, letting her know everything was going to be alright. He knew Snow was struggling with all of this. He had his concerns too, but he needed to be strong for his wife. She had so many emotions going through her head right now with the pregnancy, and those emotions wouldn't just instantly go away once the baby was born. He would be strong for both of his girls though and help them through this. He would make sure Emma knew they loved her just as much as they loved the baby. He wouldn't give up no matter how long it took. David knew Emma would continue to have a hard time once the baby came, but he also knew that she would still love her little brother. David looked out the window and smiled at his little princess. Emma was going to be just fine.

"I found it, Willow!" Emma said as she held up her doggy's favorite tennis ball. "Are you ready?" Emma lifted the ball into the air and Willow wagged her tail. Emma smiled. "Get set." She pulled her hand back and Willow crouched down, getting ready to run. "Go!" Emma threw the ball as far as she could.

Emma watched Willow run really fast…so fast that she leaped up and caught the ball in her mouth before it landed on the ground. Emma was pretty sure she had the fastest doggy in the world. Emma knelt down and held out her hands, and Willow came running towards her at full speed. Emma caught Willow in her arms and gave her a big hug. When she looked up, she saw her daddy coming out of the house with his keys in his hand.

Emma quickly got up and ran right to him. "Where are you going, Daddy?"

David scooped Emma up into his arms. "I've got to head down to the Henderson farm. Their sheep broke through the fence, and they need my help."

"Can I come too?"

"No, I need you to stay here this time kiddo."

"Pretty please," Emma said as she stuck out her lip and gave him the eyes.

David couldn't help but smile at that look, but he couldn't let Emma come. "Sorry, princess. I need you to stay here with Mommy for me."

"Okay," Emma said with a nod of her head.

"That's my girl," David said as he set Emma back down. He looked up at Willow, who was still playing with her tennis ball, and let out a whistle. "Come on, Willow."

Emma looked up at her daddy. "You're taking Willow?"

"She's has to help me get those sheep." David opened the door of the truck and Willow hopped inside.

Emma crossed her arms and let her head drop. She didn't want Willow to leave too. They were in the middle of their game of fetch.

David knelt down in front of Emma. "You know what…I think your mommy said something about making chocolate chip cookies this afternoon."

Emma's eyes went wide as she lifted her head. "Really?"

David nodded towards the house. "Yup, go in and see."

"Okay! Bye, Daddy," Emma gave her daddy a hug and waved to Willow before turning and running into the house.

Once Emma was inside, she kicked off her shoes, hung up her coat, and ran for the kitchen. "Momma! Momma!"

"What is it baby?"

"Are we gonna make cookies?" Emma asked as she jumped up and down.

"Do you want to make cookies?" Snow asked with a smile.

"Yes! Yes!" Emma clapped her hands.

"Okay, let's get everything out then!"

Snow went to the cupboard and started pulling out all the ingredients. Flour, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, vanilla, sugar….sugar. Where was the sugar? There was none in the cupboard. She quickly looked in the canister on the counter. She found it empty. Snow sighed. There was no way they could make cookies without sugar. Snow was sure she bought a bag of sugar at the store last week, apparently not though.

Emma looked up at her mommy and knew something was wrong. "What is it, Mommy?"

"We don't have any sugar. We're going to have to go to the store. Go get your shoes and coat on, okay?" Snow told her as she went to grab her purse.

"Ugh," Emma groaned as she went to the front door to put on her shoes. She looked up at her coat and decided she didn't want to put that on. She had long sleeves. She would be warm enough. Emma saw her mommy coming. She turned to open the door. "Okay Mommy, let's go," she said, taking one step out the door and hoping her mommy wouldn't say anything.

Snow took ahold of Emma's arm and gently pulled her back into the house. "Put on your coat, please."

"Mommy, I don't need it," Emma whined.

"I'm not going to ask you again," Snow told Emma firmly.

Emma looked up at her mommy trying to decide what she should do. The look on her mommy's face told her that if she didn't put on her coat, they probably wouldn't go to the store. If they didn't go to the store, then no cookies. Emma grabbed her coat from the hook and put it on. "There. Now can we go?"

"Yes we can," Snow said as she guided Emma out the door.

Snow and Emma arrived to the store and got the sugar. Then, Snow remembered there was something she needed for the baby. "Come on, Em. Let's go down this aisle real quick."

Emma knew exactly which aisle her mommy was taking her to…the baby aisle. She did not want to go there. "Mommy, no. Let's just go home and make the cookies," Emma begged.

"It'll just take a second Emma, come on." Snow grabbed onto her hand and pulled Emma towards the aisle she needed.

Emma pulled her hand from her mommy's and stopped right at the end of the aisle. "I don't want to go shopping for the baby anymore."

"Emma, I just need to get one thing, and then we can go," Snow promised.

"No! I want to go home. Now!" Emma stomped her foot for good measure.

Snow closed her eyes in frustration and took a deep breath. She didn't have the patience to deal with this right now. "Emma, I'm just going to go get a bottle of baby lotion. Please just come with me."

"No! You always get stuff for the baby!" Emma yelled.

"Emma, we get you things you too," Snow sighed. They had just gotten Emma a brand new toothbrush two days ago, and Snow let her pick out three new puzzles while they were out shopping last weekend.

"No you don't! And the baby doesn't need anything else. He has lots of stuff!"

"Lotion is the last thing he needs, I promise." Snow was sure they had everything the baby would need…except lotion.

"He doesn't need stupid lotion! He can just use the lotion we have at home!"

"Emma he needs lotion!" Snow yelled back, her patience was officially gone. "Babies need special lotion!" Snow lifted Emma's chin, looked her directly in the eyes, and pointed to the floor. "You stand right here while I go get it, and don't move," Snow warned before turning and getting what she needed.

As Emma watched her mommy walk to the other end of the aisle, she crossed her arms and promptly sat down on the floor.

When Snow turned to walk back down the aisle, she saw that Emma was sitting. Snow just prepared herself for the argument that was about to happen. Snow stood in front of Emma and closed her eyes, taking another deep breath. "Emma, get up off of the floor."

Emma shook her head and crossed her arms.

"Emma. Get up. Now!"

"No!"

"Emma, I am going to count to three and…"

"I'll do it for you! One, two, three!" Emma looked up at her mommy and mustered up the grumpiest look she could, letting her know she wasn't moving.

Snow raised her eyebrows at her daughter. Did she really just do that? "Don't you dare look at me like that, young lady!"

Emma just continued to glare daggers at her and Snow didn't know what to do. With this belly, Snow couldn't tie her own shoes, let alone pick her stubborn six-year-old up from the floor. Snow knew just how stubborn that six-year-old was too because Snow was just as stubborn. Snow thought for a minute, then came up with a solution.

"Emma…" Snow said in a very different voice than she had just been using. She was not going to yell anymore, but her voice would still let Emma know that she was very serious about what she was going to say next. "If you do not get up off of the floor, we will not be making these cookies, you will not be allowed any hot chocolates from Granny's for a week, and…" Snow knew the next part would definitely work if the first two hadn't. "Willow will not be allowed to sleep in your room for the next week as well. Now, I am going to count to three again." Snow held up a finger. "One…"

Emma's eyes went wide as she looked up at her mommy. She had never heard her mommy talk like that before. Emma didn't know if her mommy really meant what she said, but Emma did not want to find out. She quickly scrambled to her feet just as Snow was about to say three.

"Thank you. Now, take my hand and let's go."

Emma did what her mommy asked. She held onto her hand and quietly walked over to the register so they could buy the sugar and the lotion. Emma got into the car and rode the rest of the way home without a fuss.

"Emma, I need you to go up to your room," Snow said once they were in the house.

Emma nodded her head and walked to the stairs. She stopped and the bottom and turned around. "Momma?"

Snow looked up and saw Emma's sad little eyes looking up at her. "What is it, Em?"

"Are we still gonna make cookies?"

"We will a little later. Mommy just needs a break right now."

"Okay, Mommy," Emma said as she turned and walked up the stairs.

Snow let the tears start to fall as soon as Emma's back was turned. She went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Snow didn't know what came over her at the store. She had never lost her patience like that with Emma before. She was usually able to stay fairly calm when Emma acted that way. Snow just sat at the table for awhile until she felt better, then made her way upstairs to talk to her little one.

Snow opened the door to Emma's room and found her lying on her bed curled up with her blanket. Snow walked over to the bed, hoping Emma hadn't fallen asleep. As Snow got closer though, those little green eyes peeked up at her from behind the mess of blond curls.

Emma sat up and scooted herself over to make room for her mommy. "Hi, Momma."

"Hi, Emma." Snow sat down on the bed beside her little girl, who looked very guilty at the moment. "What's going on with you little one, huh?" Snow asked as she brushed the hair from Emma's face.

Emma just shrugged her shoulders and looked down.

"Why did you get so mad at the store today?" Snow asked.

"Because we had to get something for the baby," Emma mumbled into her blanket.

"Emma…"

"No Mommy, every time we go shopping we have to buy something for the baby too. I just wanted to buy sugar and that's it. Just me and you, not the baby too."

Snow was beginning to understand why Emma acted the way she did. "So you were upset because I had to get something for the baby, and it took time away from just you and me?"

"Uh huh…" Emma said with a nod. "I don't want the baby to take you away from me."

"Come here, sweetie." Snow put her arm around Emma and pulled her close. "Your baby brother is not going to take me away from you. I will always be here for you."

"But he'll always be around too," Emma said with a sigh.

"You're right, Em. He will be, but I think you are going to have so much fun being a big sister, and he is going to love you so much," Snow said as she gave Emma a squeeze.

"Yeah I guess so." Emma knew she would love her brother. She was just worried that her mommy and daddy wouldn't spend as much time with her anymore.

"How about this," Snow said when she noticed that Emma still looked pretty unsure. "I promise that we will set aside some special Mommy and Emma time everyday. Just the two of us. How does that sound?"

Emma looked up at her mommy with a smile. "Yeah, I like that idea."

"Good," Snow said as she gave Emma a kiss the top of her head. She loved seeing that little smile of Emma's.

"Can I have Daddy and Emma time too?"

"Of course you can! And maybe every once in awhile we can ask Auntie Red to watch your brother so just the three of us can do something together."

Emma gave her mommy a big hug. "Thanks Mommy!"

"I need you to make me a deal though, Em," Snow said as she looked down at Emma.

Emma looked back up at her mommy. "What is it?"

"If you feel angry like you did earlier today at the store, I need you to talk to Mommy about it like a big girl and listen when I ask you to do something. You are not to throw a fit like that anymore, okay?"

Emma nodded her head. "Okay, Mommy. I'm sorry. I won't do that ever again."

"Thank you, Emma," Snow said, giving Emma one more squeeze. "Now, how about we go downstairs and make those cookies?"

"Yeah let's go!" Emma said as she scrambled down from her bed and ran down the stairs.

Snow really hoped her talk with Emma just now would help. She knew this little prince would need a lot of attention once he finally decided to come into this world. To Emma, it may seem like her mommy and daddy are spending all of their time with the baby, and Snow did not want Emma to feel that way. She and Charming would both be there for their little princess too and make her feel just as loved.

"Momma, we did a really good job!" Emma said with a mouth full of cookie. "Here, try one!"

"Thanks, Em," Snow said with a wink as she reached out and took the cookie from Emma. "Oh!" Snow dropped the cookie as a sharp pain went through her stomach. She shook her head, maybe it was nothing. She winced as another pain shot up her back. Nope, this was it.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Emma asked, eyes wide with panic.

"I'm okay, Em," Snow said as she sat down in the chair. She gave Emma a smile, not wanting her to be frightened. Snow took a deep breath as another contraction came. "Emma, I need you to get the phone for Mommy."

"Okay," Emma said with a nod as she hopped down from her chair and ran to the counter where the phone was. "Here, Mommy."

"Thanks little one." Snow quickly dialed the Henderson's number, hoping someone would pick up and be able to tell Charming.

Emma listened as her mommy told someone on the phone that the baby was coming. Emma's mouth fell open when she heard what her mommy just said. The baby was coming, now? Emma didn't know if she was ready to be a big sister yet. She didn't think she was ready to share her mommy and daddy. There was a part of Emma that did feel a little bit excited to meet her baby brother though. Emma heard her mommy tell her to get her shoes and coat on, and Emma did exactly what she was told. Her daddy came rushing into the house a few minutes later. He scooped Emma up with one arm and led his wife to the car with the other. When her daddy put her in the car, Emma quickly got herself buckled and held on tight as her they raced to the hospital.

When they got inside, Emma saw her Auntie Red and Granny waiting there for them. Emma watched as the nurses quickly got a wheelchair and helped her mommy sit down.

"You stay with Granny and Red, okay princess," David said as he knelt down and gave Emma a hug.

"Okay, Daddy," Emma said with a nod. She looked over at her mommy and felt scared. Her mommy did not look good.

Snow noticed the frightened look on Emma's face. "Come here little one," Snow said as she reached her arms out for her.

Emma walked over to her mommy. "Are you going to be okay Momma?"

Snow nodded her head and took a deep breath. "I am going to be just fine, Em. Come here." Snow wrapped Emma up in a big hug. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too." Emma wrapped her arms around her mommy and just held on tight. Emma knew her mommy was going to be alright. The doctors would take good care of her.

"You go with Auntie Red. Daddy and I will see you real soon," Snow said as she let go and gave Emma a smile.

Emma nodded her head and watched as the nurses rolled her mommy away. They were just about to go through the doors when Emma remembered something. "Mommy, wait!" Emma quickly ran up to her mommy and pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. "I made a list for you," Emma reached out the paper to her mommy.

Snow took the paper from Emma and saw that she had made her own list of names for her baby bother. "Oh, Emma. Thank you, sweetie."

"You're welcome." Emma turned and ran back to her Auntie Red, who lifted Emma up into her arms. Emma watched her mommy and daddy disappear behind the doors. She laid her head down and couldn't help the small smile that came her face. Pretty soon she was going to be a big sister.


End file.
